Councillors decide to oppose house tax tooth and nail

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, July 28

Amid allegations and counter-allegations by the BJP and the Congress, city Mayor and councillors today decided to oppose the decision of the UT Administration to impose house tax tooth and nail.

A meeting on the issue was convened by Mayor Poonam Sharma at the MC office. The meeting was attended by several councillors. However, six BJP councillors and one SAD councillor skipped the meeting.

The meeting turned out to be a stormy affair as some BJP councillors who attended the meeting blamed the Mayor for “lapses” due to which house tax was imposed by the UT Administration though it was the authority of the MC to impose it. BJP councillor Arun Sood said it was the MC which had to decide on the implementation of house tax. “It is surprising how the powers of the MC were overlooked by the Administration and it took the decision to impose house tax on its own,” he said.

Sood said all councillors had now decided that they would ask the UT Administration to withdraw its notification and let the MC prepare a proposal for introducing a revised and rationalised house tax. Mayor Poonam Sharma said all councillors would meet UT Adviser Vijay Kumar Dev tomorrow and discuss the issue with him.

Congress councillor Pardeep Chabbra said all Congress councillors would sit on dharna against the decision of the UT Administration. “The decision taken by the UT Administration is arbitrary, illegal and undemocratic. We will oppose it,” he said.

BJP councillors skip meeting

Six BJP councillors and one SAD councillor were not present at the meeting called by the Mayor over the decision of the Administration to impose house tax.