The State government on Thursday told the High Court of Karnataka that it has rejected a representation given by a petitioner, who had sought waiver or relaxation in payment of property tax for 2020–21 for all local authorities across the State.

An endorsement given to the petitioner in this regard was submitted before a Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Abhay Shreeniwas Oka and Justice Ashok S. Kinagi during the hearing of a PIL petition, filed by K. Gurudhatta, a resident of Banashankari in Bengaluru.

Pointing out that local authorities across the State, including the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike, are required to provide various health and basic amenities to citizens during COVID-19, the government said in its response to the petitioner’s plea that any concession or relaxation in payment of property tax would further deteriorate financial conditions of the local authorities which are already facing financial crunch.

The petitioner had sought a direction to the government to consider a representation, given on May 11, seeking exemption or relaxation in payment of property tax as the landowners too have lost revenue from properties owing to non-payment of rent by tenants in view of the pandemic.

Following a notice issued by the court, the government on August 24 rejected the representation.