‘Restore 40% discount on property tax’

Activist Velankar appealed to the housing societies in the city to put up stickers on the doors asking the government to restore the concession before the elections.

Pune

Sajjan Nagarik Manch, a city-based forum, organised a meeting in the city recently with focus on property tax discount.

RTI activist Vivek Velankar said that citizens should fight to get back the 40% discount on property tax.

He showcased the delayed analysis of the situation based on the information received through Right to Information on how the Pune Municipal Corporation’s recommendation to the government has led to the cancellation of the concession on property tax and how all political parties have failed the citizens.

“It is outrageous that PMC has failed to recover Rs1,200 crore from 475 defaulters who have property tax arrears of over Rs 1 crore and it is arbitrarily withdrawing 40% concession given to honest property tax-paying citizens, for the last 50 years. Citizens have to pressurize the political parties to restore this. They have to fight for it,” said Velankar.

Velankar appealed to the housing societies in the city to put up stickers on the doors asking the government to restore the concession before the elections.

“If the government does not restore the concession before the elections, then we should opt for NOTA. Using such tactics, can take our grievances to the government,” he added.

Speaking at the event, Suhas Patvardhan, president of Pune district housing society federation said that he would take up the issue with the Chief minister and Deputy Chief minister and take the legal route, if need be.

Chaitraly Deshmukh-Tajane