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Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (JS)
Mangaluru, Dec 24: Senior Congress leader Janardhan Poojary on Saturday December 24 came down heavily on the Mangaluru City Corporation (MCC) for hiking the property tax under self-assessment scheme (SAS) by 15 percent, terming it a 'breach of people's trust'.
Addressing a press meet here, Poojary said, "Mangaluru City Corporation has increased the property tax by 15 percent. A convention was held prior to the city corporation elections at Nehru Maidan. All the leaders in the presence of senior leaders of the district had vowed that the Congress government, if it came to power, would not hike the property tax for the next 5 years. But now by increasing the property tax our party leaders have broken their promise. This is an unforgivable crime. It is a breach of people's trust.
"This is a wrong decision. Former mayor Mahabala Maarla, when he was the mayor, had got a call from the urban development department to increase the tax but he did not pay heed. He did a good job, I appreciate him. Even the current mayor Harinath also got calls from the same department three times, but he budged and took this decision. It was the chief minister's responsibility to protect and keep up the promise," he said.
Criticising chief minister Siddaramaiah, Poojary said, "The chief minister will justify the decision saying development cannot happen without increasing the tax. But if he knows anything about administration, he should have first traced and collected the pending taxes. That should have been his priority. The chief minister should stop sleeping. Otherwise he should step down and go home. Protecting the interest of the party should be his first priority. Does he not know that in this difficult times of demonetisation, increasing the tax will in turn increase the rents? This is bound to affect the general public."
Asked if he has received show-cause notice from the Congress high command for his constant outbursts against the party, he replied in the negative, adding, "If I do receive a notice, I will inform the media first."
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