‘Super commercial tax, borewell cess should go’
The Hindu
JD(S) threatens stir if not withdrawn in one week
A day after the Federation of Organisations and Associations of Mysuru vociferously opposed the banner campaign launched by the Mysuru City Corporation (MCC) to recover property tax dues from commercial establishments, former Minister and JD(S) MLA S.R. Mahesh threatened to launch a demonstration in front of the MCC building if the “super commercial” tax and borewell cess is not withdrawn in a week’s time.
Addressing a press conference here on Saturday, Mr. Mahesh described the “super commercial” tax imposed on commercial buildings such as hotels, marriage choultries and cinema theatres as “illegal”. Far higher than commercial tax, it was imposed nowhere in the State except Mysuru.
It had been imposed a couple of years ago and the commercial building owners had moved the court against it. Under the Karnataka Municipalities Act 1964, there was provision for the urban local bodies to collect only commercial building tax, residential building tax and vacant plot tax. “Super commercial tax is illegal”, he said.