No property tax for small houses in Mumbai

Mumbai: Just ahead of the announcement of general elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party-led Maharashtra government, in an attempt to woo Mumbaikars, announced property tax exemption for flats admeasuring up to 500 square feet in the city and suburbs.

The state Cabinet meeting, which was chaired by chief minister Devendra Fadnavis at Sahadyri Guest House on Friday, approved the proposal. This is one of the two conditions made by Shiv Sena’s chief Uddhav Thackeray from the BJP to ink the poll pact between the saffron parties.

The government had recently scrapped the Nanar oil refinery project in Ratnagiri district, which was the first demand of the Sena. In a week’s time this is the second Cabinet meeting held just to clear various proposals.

The state Cabinet has given an approval to amend the Act in order to waive off property tax for up to 500 square feet in the jurisdiction of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). The decision was made to be applicable from January 1, 2019.

The BMC had approved the proposal to exempt up to 500 square feet from property tax and 60 per cent discount for those sized between 501 sq ft and 700 square feet on July 6, 2017.

After approving the proposal, the BMC had sent it to the state government so that an amendment could be carried out in the Mumbai Municipal Corporation Act, 1888. This proposal was pending with the state government since then and the cabinet cleared it on Friday.

Shiv Sena leader Aditya Thackeray stated in Marathi that the Shiv Sena had fulfilled its promise and expressed gratitude to party chief and Mr Fadnavis.

Parliamentary affairs minister Girish Bapat said the proposal for exe-mption of property tax arrived from the civic body and state Cabinet accepted it.