The standing
committee of the Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) recently approved the
civic budget for 2013-14 that brings down the proposed hike in general tax and
water charges but makes no change in gas rates proposed by municipal
commissioner in his budget proposals last month.
According to the
revised budget, property tax on residential properties would be levied at Rs.
16 per square metre (square meter), Rs. 5 more than the present Rs. 11 but Rs.
4 less than that what was proposed by Commissioner Mr. Ashwini Kumar in his
budget presentation on January 24, 2013.
Similarly, the
standing committee has proposed to increase annual water charges for households
from Rs. 850 to Rs. 1,000. The commissioner had proposed Rs 1,200 a year.
However, the
residents of the Vadodara city receiving piped cooking gas will have to get
ready to pay a higher bill from April this year (2013). The standing committee
has kept the revised gas rates at Rs. 16.52 per unit as proposed by the
executive wing. Consumers will effectively have to pay Rs. 18.99 per unit
instead of present Rs. 15.84.
The standing
committee also approved new streetlight tax at Rs. 8 per cent of general tax or
/Rs. 120, whichever is less, as proposed in the commissioner’s budget.
With these and other
moderations in the rates by standing committee, the VMC is likely to collect
Rs. 62 crore more annually. But this would be about Rs. 30 crore less than the
target of Rs. 92.33 crore set by the commissioner.
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