Andhra government imposed ₹1,000-crore house tax burden on urban residents: CPI(M)

CPI(M) State secretariat member Ch. Babu Rao on Thursday alleged that the Andhra Pradesh government had imposed an additional house-tax burden of nearly ₹1,000 crore on urban residents and was continuing the property-value-based taxation system introduced by the previous YSRCP government.

Addressing the media at the party office, Mr. Babu Rao, along with party district secretariat member B. Satya Babu, alleged that the government had reneged on its election promise to review the property-tax system.

He claimed that the capital-value-based property tax had resulted in house taxes increasing by at least 15.% every year. He alleged that the cumulative increase over six years had reached 131.% The coalition government had further increased the burden by 30% this year, he said.

The CPI(M) leader alleged that the burden would indirectly fall on tenants as well as property owners. He claimed that penalties ranging from 25% to 100% were being imposed for alleged building violations and that a 24% penalty was being collected for delayed payment.

Mr. Babu Rao alleged that the government was planning to reintroduce waste charges in the form of user charges after the municipal elections through G.O. 673. He said the order could also facilitate leasing municipal assets for up to 99 years and privatisation of civic services.

He alleged that tenders had already been invited for handing over internal roads in Vijayawada and Visakhapatnam to private agencies under the public-private partnership model.

He demanded that the property-value-based tax system, the relevant amendments and GO 198 be replealed, besides withdrawal of GO 673. He urged people to make tax burdens, civic amenities and privatisation key issues in the forthcoming local-body elections.

He warned that the CPI(M) would launch another round of agitation if the government failed to withdraw the increased house tax and plans to reintroduce waste charges.