MARGAO
Madgavkars, beware. Brace up to pay higher taxes and fees in the commercial capital on a host of services offered by the Margao civic body in the event BJP-backed Margao Municipal Council controlled by Margao MLA Digambar Kamat, has its way.
In fact, after literally bulldozing its way by forcing honest and sincere tax payers to pay additional 50 per cent garbage fees, amounting to Rs 300, taking the total amount of annual garbage fees paid by Madgavkars to Rs 900, MMC has come out with draft fee hike on a list of services offered by the civic body.
Instead of imposing garbage fees on the illegal households and business establishments, including the slums dotting the city, which has become vote banks for the politicians in both Margao and Fatorda, MMC has now proposed to increase taxes on sincere and honest tax payers and citizens.
A glance at the list reveals that the civic body plans to double the taxes and fees in a bid mop up additional revenue. However, since the civic body cannot implement the new tax rates and fees without the Council nod, the proposal for revision of the fees and taxes has been placed before Council at its meeting scheduled next week.
As per the draft proposal, it has been proposed to charge Rs 365 per annum on households paying a house tax of Rs 100.
Applications for corrections of names on birth/death certificates, besides corrections of the order of birth/death certificate will now be charged Rs 200 from Rs 100.
Premises leased out on rent will be charged minimum Rs 10,000 by the Civic body and above per month.
The NOCs issued by the Civic body has not been spared either. The NOC to be produced before the Excise will henceforth be charged a hefty fee of Rs 2000 from the existing Rs 500.
Similarly, the fee to be charged on the NOC for water and electricity has been doubled from Rs 500 to Rs 1000.
That’s not all. The NOC for water and electricity connection issued under the Public Health Act has been increased by 10 times from the existing Rs 500 to Rs 5000.
The Margao Municipal hall, which is taken on rent by social organizations, will now be available at a fee of Rs 1000 for half a day as against the existing fee of Rs 500 for half a day.
The MMC has also proposed introduction of character certificate for job purpose etc, besides residence certificate issued by the office to Rs 100 per certificate and Rs 50 for correction. The Civic body has not been charging fees on these two heads.
The three-fold rise in the house tax on existing houses, besides fees on a host of services rendered by the Civic body, has raised many an eyebrow amongst the ruling BJP Councillors, who have vowed to take up the matter with party leaders, including Margao MLA Digambar Kamat and state party president Sadanand Tanavade.
A ruling Councillor in private pointed out that MMC’s decision to implement the 50% hike in garbage fees had left Madgavkars an agitated lot. Revising the fees on a host of services will only add insult to their injury.
“The MMC had come under opposition at the time of implementing the 50% hike in the garbage fees on the plea that the Civic body had no plans to bring the thousands of illegal houses, including the slums under the tax net”, the ruling Councillor added.
When The Goan contacted MMC Chairperson Damu Shirodkar on the proposed fee hike, the civic chief was clear in pushing the blame on the Chief Officer.
“It is the Chief Officer, who has proposed the hike in the fees of the services provided by the Municipality. Since we have no power to implement the fees without the Council nod, the revised fee structure has been placed before the Council meeting scheduled next week”, Damu said, adding “let the Councillors take a decision on the fee hike”.
