Property Tax not hiked for houses

Municipal Administration Minister clarifies in the Assembly

The Minister for Municipal Administration, K Rang Rao clarified in the Assembly on Monday that the Civic bodies have increased property tax in Hyderabad, Vijayawada and Visakhapatnam only for Commercial establishments and spared the premises used for residential purposes.

While the Opposition parties protested against the hike in property tax was done to fulfill the World Bank conditions, the Minister made it clear that the World Bank did nit prescribe any conditionality as alleged by the Opposition to extend loans to improve civic amenities. He said that the government has issued two orders recently. One is providing for enhancement of the property tax in these urban areas and the other to identify the homeless there so that houses could be constructed for them under JNNURM.

The property tax was due for hike in Hyderabad, Visakhapatnam and Vijayawada as it was last raised in 2002, he said. Responding another question tabled by M Ranga Reddy, the Minister said plans are afoot to provide parking facility in the multi-story buildings in Greater Hyderabad.