After being subjected to tremendous pressure from citizens and political parties, the BMC has decided to extend the deadline of March 31 to pay property tax bills. The extension is likely to be of three months and a formal announcement would be made in a couple of days, said civic officials.
The BMC has decided to charge citizens property tax rates on the basis of capital value than the earlier rateable value system. The rates will be applicable with retrospective effect from April 1, 2010. The bills based on capital value for the years 2010-11 to 12-13 have been sent by the collection and assessment department to citizens asking them to pay them up before March 31.
A senior official on the condition of anonymity said, “We received a large number of pleas from citizens to extend the deadline further for the payment of property tax bills. Considering this, it was decided to extend the cut-off date by three months.”
Despite fervent pleas from corporators and citizens, the civic administration initially had refused to extend the deadline for payment of bills. Several citizen groups and political leaders had demanded that the deadline be extended to pay property tax bills for the last three years. They had also demanded considering payment in instalments.
According to the civic sources, municipal commissioner Sitaram Kunte decided to give more time to the citizens to pay property tax bills.
The decision is a much-needed relief to the citizens, who were left under the burden of paying hefty property tax bills.