Haryana Assembly Passes Municipal Bills to Impose Property Tax on House/Land Falling Under MC Limits

handigarh (I-Haryana News): Haryana Vidhan Sabha on Tuesday passed two bills, The Haryana Municipal (Amendment) Bill, 2012 has been passed to amend section 2, 69, 70 of Haryana Municipal Act, 1973 and to insert section 75A, 75B and 75C in it, and The Haryana Municipal Corporation (Amendment) Bill, 2012  to make amendments in section 2 and 87 of Haryana Municipal Corporation Act, 1994 and to insert section 87A, 87B and 87C in it.
 

The Parliamentary affair Minister, Mr. Randeep Singh Surjewala  introduced the first  bill , The Haryana Municipal (Amendment) Bill, 2012 at  12.51pm and requested house to consider this bill for discussion and passage.

Mrs. Sumita Singh stood first to speak on the bill, she pointed out general observation about the property of Municipal bodies rented out to leasers and subletting of them, but failed to speak on amended clauses of the bill.

Then after, Congress MLA from Mahem constituency, Mr. Anand Singh Dangi, asked why government is levying property tax and other taxes when not giving them basics amnesties in unapproved colonies whereas, approved one are getting?

Referring to the Mr. Dangi question, Parliamentary affair Minister, Mr. Surjewala, who is also lawyer by professional quoted Supreme Court ruling on municipal taxes that taxes are not for something to get but for your share to use the public services and infrastructure, Thus he categorically stated that the present property tax would be levied on whole of Municipal area irrespective of status of property.

Congress MLA from Rohtak also stood up, but did not speak much on the bill to mention, whereas, Mr. Sampat Singh ,Congress MLA Nalwa questioned while sitting  on his seat what about those who uses Municipal public services and infrastructure coming for outer areas? But house did not take notice of this.

The speaker was on seen on hurry to declare both bill passed that it took hardly 12 minute to house to pass the bill as both bills were declared passed by the Haryana assembly at 1.03pm exactly in duration of 12 minute.

Intelligent Haryana News Investigation Says;

No clause specific debate or discussion were held on in the house on both bills .It is mention that to pass the bills in ultra speed mode Minister asked the house to considered and pass the bill in at once, which usually assembly members allow this because most of MLAs consider their prime work, the legislative work as burden on them because they do not see their contributions in law making process.

The Haryana Municipal (Amendment) Bill, 2012 and the Haryana Municipal Corporation (Amendment) Bill, 2012 were important bills as amended clauses in both above mentioned bills would directly affect the majority of people cities and towns of Haryana 

The seriousness and level of discussion on the proposed bills were not pointed as expected from lawmakers, both bills are all set to impose financial burden on commoners, the bills were passed without asking government what are the compulsions which are forcing it to impose these taxes?

It is mention that the property taxes are imposed to make local bodies eligible for grant under Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JnNURM) which are under extreme financial crunch.

When IHN asked Urban policy makers in New Delhi about Haryana newly enacted law, that imposing property tax was only option to make our local bodies financial viable, all the experts categorically stated that this is a short term vision, not distant, the state government Urban local bodies hierarchy  did not applied their minds on other available options to make municipal bodies self-sufficient, and just followed the easy one to impose extra burden on commoner, who is already reeling under the heat of prices rise.

Objective of Bills ( now Acts):

Haryana Government had committed itself to make the Urban Local Bodies self-sustaining by strengthening their resource base. The property tax system in the State which was in force since a long time was cumbersome and had become outdated. The system of calculation had many loopholes thereby leaving chances of pilferage and mismanagement. The collector rates have increased manifold in the last few years. It was necessary to provide relief to the tax-payers as the annual value of property was based on collector rate.

Keeping this in view, the Government has formulated a new system of property tax calculation and collection and has notified the same which provides a huge relief to the common man, small traders and other segments of society.

Therefore, it had become imperative to make certain amendments in the Haryana Municipal Act, 1973 and the Haryana Municipal Corporation Act, 1994 so that these Acts and the property tax system are in tune with each other. Amendment was also required in order to address the problem of stray swines within the municipal limits. Their unregulated movement leads to unhygienic conditions apart from being a traffic hazard. Therefore, it was necessary to make stringent legal provision to contain this menace.

Source: Intelligent Haryana News 

Dinesh Singh Rawat Says:

In One line bout this act is killing hen at once instead of taking one egg a day. Not wise decision on right direction, I also agree to experts versions.