Goa at long last to scrap 150-year-old temple tax

BJP-led Opposition attacked the govt for continuing with the levy of Portuguese times.

Goa Chief Minister Digambar Kamat on Monday assured the Legislative Assembly of scrapping the century-old tax levied on various temples in the state after BJP-led Opposition attacked the government for continuing with the levy.

Kamat told the state Legislative Assembly during Question Hour that the state government would scrap the law enacted in 1886 during the erstwhile Portuguese regime.

Leader of Opposition Manohar Parrikar questioned state government’s decision to continue with the tax collection,which is called ‘derrams’.

State Revenue Minister Jose Philip D’Souza was cornered by the Opposition for levying tax only on Hindu temples.

They argued that if it is a law,it should have been made applicable to all the religious institutions.

Parrikar said that since Goa is entering the Golden Jubilee of its Liberation,the state should scrap the controversial law,which makes temples cough up huge sums.

Participating in the debate,Kamat accepted the Opposition’s argument and assured it that the tax would be scrapped. Details about the quantum of taxes collected from temples were not immediately known.

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