BMC Must Return Extra Holding Tax Paid By Citizens, Demands Congress

Bhubaneswar: A day after the Orissa High Court restrained BMC from collecting enhanced holding tax, the State unit of Congress on Monday demanded that the civic body should return the additional amount to the citizens.

Addressing a press conference here, senior Congress leader Panchanan Kanungo said, “The Orissa High Court has directed the BMC to collect the holding tax as per the old rates. So it should return the extra amount which the residents have already paid following the hike in holding tax rates.”

“BMC chairman had earlier said Rs 22 crore holding tax has been collected through online. Now, the BMC should calculate what extra amount it has received and return it to the taxpayers,” Kanungo added.

Moreover, the Congress leader also threatened that the party will launch demonstration protesting power tariff hike and unnecessary expenses of BMC in various projects after improvement in the present Covid-19 situation.

However, the BMC was unavailable for reaction over the matter.

Notably on April 25, a division-bench of Orissa High Court had restrained BMC from collecting enhanced holding tax till the amendment of Orissa Municipal Corporation (OMC) Act, 2003.

Earlier on March 15, the Odisha government had also put the revised tax on hold after drawing flak from several quarters over the hike in holding tax effected by the BMC.

(Edited By Ramakanta Biswas)