Southern States - Andhra Pradesh-Hyderabad

Cong. calls for stir against hike in taxes, tariffs

By Our Special Correspondent

HYDERABAD APRIL 1. The A. P. Congress Committee (APCC) has called upon people to protest against the spate of taxation and tariff hikes ordered by the State Government with effect from April 1.

Addressing a press conference here today, the PCC spokesperson, K. Rosaiah, said the party condemned in strongest terms the `unbearable burdens' thrust upon common people by the TDP Government and wanted them to react. Two other party spokesmen -- Paladugu Venkata Rao and M. Sreedhar Reddy -- were also present.

The Congress leader said the hike in power tariff, property tax and railway fares would come into effect from today. Soon, the Government would revise water supply rates under the guise of setting up a Water Regulatory Commission, impose a new cess for policing of commercial areas and levy fresh charges on petrol and diesel for improving urban roads.

He pointed out that the property tax hike was as high as 500 per cent in some Municipalities like Tenali where the half-yearly tax for his own house had been hiked from Rs. 6,930 to Rs. 40,000. He estimated that the cumulative property tax burden in 110 Municipalities and six Corporations would be at least Rs. 300 crores.

Mr. Rosaiah held that such imposition of such steep and simultaneous burdens on the taxpayer was without precedent not only in Andhra Pradesh but also perhaps in the entire country. There was no scientific or rational basis too.

Accusing the Government of `fleecing' the citizens, he said the tax rates were being hiked indiscriminately without any improvement of civic services such as roads, drainage and water supply. Money was being collected for each of these services like drainage at the time of plan approval and in the monthly bills.

Municipalities had utterly failed to discharge their basic functions like providing primary education, primary health and streetlighting. The schools and health centres run by them were in such poor shape that there were no patrons.

Mr. Venkata Rao said this was a clear case of State `robbing the people.'

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