Property tax waiver for ex-servicemen, widows: Maharashtra combines urban and rural dept schemes

Udhhav Thackeray (File)

The Maharashtra Cabinet on Thursday decided to name the residential property tax waiver scheme for former servicemen and their widows permanently residing in Maharashtra, as ‘Balasaheb Thackeray Ex-Servicemen Sanman Yojana’, by combining the schemes of the rural and urban development departments.

Officials said the Urban Development Department has made a provision for exemption of property tax for shaurya medal holders from defence forces and widows of ex-servicemen. Similarly, the Rural Development Department has also made a provision for tax exemption for widows of ex-servicemen in rural areas for a single residential building. “But there was no provision for property tax exemption for all soldiers in urban and rural areas. So, the schemes of the two departments have been combined and named Balasaheb Thackeray Ex-Servicemen Sanman Yojana,” said an official, adding that it will provide an exemption from property tax to ex-servicemen in urban and rural areas.

In another decision, the state cabinet has extended the deadline to provide Shiv Bhojan meals at Rs 5 till March 31, 2021. In wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, the state government had reduced the cost of a plate from Rs 10 to Rs 5 on March 30 to provide meals to migrant labourers and needy people.

The state cabinet also decided to extend the period of appointment of administrators for six more months in 12 urban civic bodies. Following instructions from the State Election Commission, the state government had appointed administrators to three municipal corporations, eight municipal councils and one nagar panchayat as their five-year tenure expired in May and June 2020. An ordinance will be issued in this regard, an official said.

The state Cabinet also decided to issue new guidelines for the speedy redevelopment of the dilapidated cessed buildings in Mumbai. The Cabinet cancelled the previous guidelines issued on September 11, 2019. The new guidelines include completion of the redevelopment of the dilapidated cessed buildings in three to five years, setting up a vigilance committee to keep watch on the construction of the building’s redevelopment, opening up of escrow accounts for depositing rent one year in advance that will be given to residents and tenants with others.

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