Members of Visakhapatnam Apartment Residents Welfare Association (VARWA) and Greater Visakha Resident Colonies Association Federation (NIVAS) jointly organised a signature campaign against the imposition of capital value-based property tax and user charges for garbage collection at two different places — Seethammadhara and at 80-feet road in Akkayyapalem, here on Wednesday.
Inaugurating the campaign at Seethammadhara, former DMHO Dr. P. Rama Rao opined that it is meaningless to levy property tax on capital value of assets because capital value has no bearing on regular income. He questioned how the government could charge tax on an artificially declared capital value which does not result in rise of income. He also suggested challenging it in the court of law.
Vizag Film Society president Narava Prakasa Rao said that the taxes on the basis of capital value is undemocratic. He appealed to people of all sections to fight against the government’s decision.
People for India Forum vice-president B.L. Narayana took part in the signature campaign at Akkayyapalem and condemned the change in the method of property taxation.
The members also opined that the property tax includes expenses of the GVMC for providing civic services such as garbage clearance, provision of drinking water, maintenance of UGD and others. They questioned why people should pay additional charges for garbage collection. VARWA president N. Prakash Rao and others participated in the campaign.
