HYDERABAD: The State government is all set to hike the power tariff. Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao made an announcement to this effect in the State Assembly on Friday.

Similarly, property taxes will also go up in towns and villages, he said. The decisions were taken to save power distribution companies and to improve amenities and services to the residents of the towns and villages, the Chief Minister explained. The poorer sections, however, would be exempted from the hike in power tariff, he said.

Stating that the amount collected through property tax hike would be utilised for development of respective towns and cities, he urged the people to bear with the hike. The CM, while replying to a short debate on Palle Pragathi Programme, said that the poor would be exempted from hike.

He said that currently, they are being provided 101 units power free of cost per month and the farmers would continue to get free power. The hike in power tariff would be on those who can afford paying it.

As regards to property tax hike in villages and municipalities, the CM said that as panchayats and urban local bodies provide services to the people, they would need money and hence the hike proposal. The responsibility of collecting taxes would be on village secretaries and sarpanches. If they fail to collect tax in full, both of them would be removed from service, the Chief Minister said.

With regard to property tax assessment, the Chief Minister said that property owners can do self-assessment of their properties and pay the tax on their own and that no one will come and check it. If any discrepancies are found later, property owners will have to shell out penalty up to 25 times besides being liable for imprisonment up to two years, he said.