Udupi CMC hikes property tax by 30% over base year of 2013-14

UDUPI: Udupi City Municipal Council has hiked property tax payable through self-assessment scheme (SAS), effectively by 30% over the base year of 2013-14. D Manjunathayya, commissioner, Udupi CMC said the enhanced rate of property tax is applicable to all property owners and non-agricultural property owners under Udupi CMC limits and has been enhanced as mandated under the Karnataka Municipality Act which mandates periodic revision.

Noting that the property tax had last been revised for the financial year 2013-14, Manjunathayya said the tax has not been revised for the subsequent financial years. Noting that Udupi CMC too is part of a state wide system which mandates ULBs to revise property tax once every three years, the commissioner said the CMC has no option but to fall in line and has revised property tax by 15% for assessment year 2014-15 over tax prevalent in the financial year 2013-14.

Likewise, the CMC has also revised the property tax by 15% for the assessment year 2015-16, the commissioner said, urging all property owners to pay their property tax as per the revised rates. The decision of CMC expectedly brought forth a sharp reaction from the opposition BJP which protested the civic body's decision to hike the rates. The party demanded that the city municipality reconsider its decision of imposing a steep burden on the tax payers with this hike.