THANE: The revenue department is in the process of slapping
notices to nearly 20,000 housing socities, commercial establishments in the district including the lake city and Navi Mumbai for recovering nearly Rs 500 cr collectively as non agricultural tax for the current fiscal. The sudden levy of this tax has drawn ire from activists and political parties.
The revenue department under the provisions of the Maharashtra Land Revenue Code has been authorised to collect
NA tax on all lands annualy that have been used for any other purposes other than farming. The rates of each of these lands is different based on its usage. The owners of these lands are expected to pay the taxes annualy at the revised rate set by the collector office. The target for the district is Rs 500 cr while that for the Thane taluka is Rs 295 cr.
The levy, surprisingly, was not charged by the department earlier and the sudden inclusion of the same since the previos fiscal has apparently caught the land owners unawares who have been slapped with penalties for the pendning dues.The same has however not gone down well with the activists and political parties that have warned of stern protest against it.
"The BJP-led government is apparently harassing the common man to no end first by enforcing demonetization and GST and now by loading taxations under various heads. The quantum of the taxes including the penalty was also reportedly levied arbitrarily," alleged city president of the NCP, Thane unit, Anand Paranjape after few representatives of housing societies and trader community from the district approached the party recently.
The NCP is now asking residents and traders to not heed to the notices alleging that the BJP government was unnecessarily harassing the residents with new taxes to fill up its coffers.
"Several traders and residents have approached us recently after getting notices from the revenue department. The government is already in a position where it may not be able to secure loans and so is finding ways to squeeze dry the purses of the common man. We are supporting the residents and the business community and have asked those who approached us to not pay the amount at any cost. We will join them in fighting such arbitrary taxations, said Paranjape while talking to TOI.
Several traders and residents have approached us recently after getting notices from the revenue department. The government is already in a position where it may not be able to secure loans and so is finding ways to squeeze dry the purses of the common man
