Pics: Prajwal Ukkuda
Daijiworld Media Network - Mangalore (SP)

Mangalore, Jun 17: Important decisions like reduction in the water tax, setting up of a committee to take a final decision on the Self Assessment Scheme(SAS) of property tax and conducting detailed investigations into past irregularities, were the important decisions taken at the general session of the the council of Mangalore City Corporation held on Monday June 16.

During the period the administrative officer was in-charge of the city corporation, SAS had been adopted and water taxes had been hiked. Both these steps faced stiff resistance from the members of the public. Various political parties and organizations had staged protests against these steps and even the ruling BJP had expressed itself against these two decisions.

In the session held on Monday, the water rates were revised downward for domestic consumers, retaining the revised rate for commercial use. Although the Congress had at the beginning, stuck to its demand to revert to water taxes that were prevalent last year, mayor Ganesh Hosabettu succeeded in convincing it to slightly higher rates, after holding negotiations at his chamber.

After several councillors came up with complaints about unrealistic bills running into lacs and crores of rupees having been issued for water consumption to various people, the mayor announced the decision to conduct water adalats to set right lacunae in the water supply and billing system and settle water supply related complaints.

Council whip Shankar Bhat informed, that an expert committee will be appointed under the leadership of the mayor, to draft revised tax rates, as the SAS brought into effect was unscientific. The scheme is facing strong opposition on the ground that it is unfit to be introduced in Mangalore considering the city's unique terrain and uneven landscape.

The mayor also assured, that investigations will be held in respect of alleged irregularities that took place during the previous rule of the previous regime and that the guilty will be brought to book.