Jamnagar civic body proposes new taxes

The Jamnagar Municipal Corporation (JMC) has proposed new taxes of Rs 1.42 crore in its budget for the year 2004-2005. For the year 2004-05, Rs 157 crore has been proposed to for the development works.

The standing committee however has, proposed a cut of Rs seven crore in the tax proposals.

The municipal commissioner Sonal Mishra had proposed fresh taxes of Rs.8.42 crore, which was rejected by the standing committee (an elected body of councilors).

The standing committee reduced the tax burden by Rs seven crore, thus ensuring that additional tax of around Rs one crore will be levied next year from Jamnagar residents.

The Budget meeting, held here on Thursday, was chaired by Mayor Gautam Tala. Karsan Karmur. Chairman of the standing committee presented the budget and said that, the revenue of Rs, 125 crore has been estimated for the next fiscal year and against the opening balance of Rs.6.27 crore total balance would be Rs. 126.51 crore.

The hike in the water charges, sanitation charges and street light charges have been proposed in the new budget. This essentially means and additional burden of Rs.142 lakh for the Jamnagar residents.

The municipal commissioner had assigned Rs 57.14 crore for new projects. The new works include laying new pipelines, installing filter stations and filter plants for the Narmada Pipeline, constructing new drainage, building administrative complex, primary schools, Indira Gandhi Road and a sports complex.

Earlier, the standing committee had passed the resolution for withdrawing the octroi on 11 items and was sent to the state government for the final clearance. The final clearance is still waited.

The Vepari Mandal, an umbrella organisation of traders, has called for a bandh on Friday, although the local BJP leaders is trying to convince the trading community to call off the bandh.

Suresh Tanna, president of the Vepari Mandal said that since the state government has not accepted the demands, all establishments will remain closed on Friday in protest. "This proposal has been pending for long and although the JMC has agreed to withdraw octroi on select items, the state government has not cleared the proposal," he said. Tanna claimed the support of almost all smaller trade organisations of Jamnagar.