Bengaluru: Tax and Finance Standing Committee Chairman M. Shivaraj has given time till December 31 to the revenue officials in East zone to collect pending property taxes to the tune of '1.63 crore.
During a review meeting on Tuesday, the Committee members found that as many as 760 cheques for Rs 1.63 crore had bounced in the last six years. Angry with the lackadaisical attitude of the BBMP officials, the Chairman said that despite many warnings the officials had failed to collect pending dues.
“The East zone is the highest tax generating zone. By now, nearly Rs 610 crore should have been collected. However, the officials have collected only Rs 310 crore. If you (officials) don’t collect the pending dues by December 31, disciplinary action will be taken against all,” he warned.
Later, he said that tax collection campaign will be held in every zone on Wednesday and he would visit the campaign in different zones to monitor the tax collection.
Hawkers demand sops from BBMP
Members of Bruhat Bengaluru Beedhi Vyapari Sanghatanegala Okkuta demanded the BBMP to earmark one per cent of its budget for the welfare of the street vendors. Addressing a press conference, Vinay Sreenivasa, spokesperson of the organisation said that members of Taxation and Finance committee and Mayor must interact with members of the Okkuta and make arrangements to provide basic amenities such as lighting, drinking water, toilets, shelter from sun and rain and crèche facilities.
In May 2015, over 250 street vendors were evicted by the Bangalore Traffic Police in Shivaginagar without any prior notice which stands as a violation to the Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihoods and Regulation of Vending) Act 2014 which prescribes a minimum 30 days’ notice before eviction can be authorised by the local authorities.
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