Daijiworld Media Network - Mangalore (SP)
Mangalore, Feb 26: Dakshina Kannada district Congress has asked the newly-elected mayor to convene a special session of the city council to discuss and pass a resolution to withdraw the Self Assessment Property Tax system that has been implemented in the city.
Speaking at a press conference here on Wednesday February 25, district Congress vice-president Ivan D'Souza said that the Corporation commissioner has revealed that the implementation of the system can be kept at bay even now, if the City Corporation passes a resolution to that affect in the council meeting and brings pressure on the state government.
He termed the above system as anti-poor and pro-rich. "Our party will rake up this as an election issue," Ivan informed.
"The BJP which rose to power by dangling out the promise of 24-hour water supply, has failed to keep its word. Although road concreting is good, the Corporation is purposefully neglecting wards represented by Congress corporators. As drains and footpaths have not been laid by the sides of several concreted roads, people are facing problems," he said. He also criticized the administration’s move of handing over the work of issuing water bills to private agencies, resulting in the idling of the meter readers. The bills have been found to be faulty in many cases, he complained.
He criticized Ganesh Hosabettu for registering a criminal case against union minister Renuka Chowdhury, which he said tantamount to supporting atrocities on women and informed that the Congress Party would soon register a case against Hosabettu. He demanded for the opening of three more centres in addition to the current ones, for issuance of voter identity cards.
Party leaders T K Sudhir, Pravin Alva, B A Moidin Bawa and Umesh Devadiga were present at the press conference.