BMC will pass Sena’s property tax waiver before monsoon session: Uddhav Thackeray

Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray said the Mumbai civic body, which his party heads, will pass a resolution waiving property tax for houses with a carpet area of up to 500 square feet before the monsoon session of the legislature in mid-July.

Speaking at the Shiv Sena’s 51st foundation day on Monday evening, Thackeray said this was one of the major promises made by the Sena in its manifesto for the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections, and he has instructed his corporators to act on it.

“I have told Shiv Sena corporators to ensure that the property tax waiver for houses of up to 500 square feet is passed before the monsoon session begins. I stand by what I say. I don’t make empty poll promises,” Thackeray said.

A property tax waiver for houses up to 500 square feet and concessions in the levy for houses with a carpet area of between 500 to 700 square feet was one of Shiv Sena’s biggest promises in its manifesto for the 2017 BMC elections.

The manifesto promise, however, had no mention in the BMC’s budget for 2017-18.

Besides property tax rebates, some other pre-poll promises made by the Shiv Sena include free health services to those who do not qualify under any state government schemes, e-libraries for the youth, a music academy, revamp of open spaces, finding solutions for potholes, a specialty hospital for diabetes, 24x7 water supply, electricity generation centre, and a coastal road from Dahisar to Nariman Point, among others.