CHHATRAPATI SAMBHAJINAGAR: While the city’s civic body extended the 50% concession in betterment charges towards regularisation of gunthewari properties until March, several residents owning such properties have demanded modification in the regularisation formula.
Smita Awachar, a resident, said a concession in betterment charges alone would alone help the property owners. “Besides betterment charges, three other charges are levied by the civic administration while regularising Gunthewari properties. These taxes are linked with RR rates. We demand a concession in all these taxes,” she said.
Awachar also said that Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar Municipal Corporation (CSMC) was misleading people by saying that a 50% concession is offered towards regularisation charges. “Many property owners do not know the nitty-gritty of the matter, and they are under the impression that a blanket 50% concession is in place,” she said.
Notably, claiming that the rules concerned are unjust and detrimental to their rights on properties, residents from Gunthewari areas threatened to boycott the recent assembly elections. A section of public leaders, however, later persuaded residents against taking such an extreme step.
Several residents also demanded that CSMC should regularise Gunthewari properties without demanding any charges. “Paying Gunthewari charges now is double taxation. We already paid money to the govt while purchasing properties in Gunthewari areas,” said Digambar Kale, a resident of the Deolai area.
When contacted, civic authorities said Gunthewari regularisation is being carried out in light of existing rules and regulations. “The Gunthewari Act needs to be modified if we are to concede to the demand of residents. This is not in our purview as the state govt has to take a call on it,” a senior official said.
Requesting citizens to regularise their properties at the earliest, civic authorities said properties would be considered illegal if the laid-down process is not followed.
Source Homevior.in
