Lokmat News Network
Aurangabad, July 1:
After a gap of more than a month, the Aurangabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) woke up from its slumber and decided to collect the discounted water tax of Rs 2,000 from July 4 (Monday). The assessor and collector of tax and deputy commissioner (AMC) Aparna Thete confirmed," The AMC has completed the official formalities. The letter directing the implementation of the revised water tax from Monday has been sent to all nine ward officers (zonal officers).”
Earlier, the AMC was collecting a water tax of Rs 4,050 (per annum) for the last few years. However, the then Maha Vikas Aghadi-led government announced a 50 per cent discount on the water tax in May. It may be noted that there was a hue and cry of the citizens due to prevailing water scarcity in the city, therefore, the then guardian minister Subhash Desai announced the discount and also directed the administration to implement the decision. Accordingly, the then administrator A K Pandey constituted a committee of officers to simplify the tax process. The committee submitted its report a fortnight ago.
Meanwhile, the Divisional Commissioner, the District Collector and the Municipal Commissioner were also taking united efforts to resolve the existing water scarcity in the city on a priority basis. Today, the localities which were getting water on the eighth or ninth day are now given water on every fifth day. Moreover, efforts to improve the water distribution system are underway.
" The civic chief A K Pandey got transferred as chief administrator (CIDCO), therefore, before leaving the office, he passed the resolution of implementing 50 pc water tax," said Thete.
Now, pay the new discounted water tax online
The AMC has decided to issue one single demand note of the property tax and water tax from 2022-23. The facility to pay both the tax online has also been introduced this financial year. Earlier, the software inserted an old water tax of Rs 4,050. Later on, the discount was announced. The responsibility of upgrading the software was assigned to Aurangabad Smart City Development Corporation Limited (ASCDCL). Hence it landed into the problem as it was unable to revise the figures on new software without any official order, said the sources.
“The techno-savvy citizens can now pay the revised water tax of Rs 2,000 online from Monday as the software up-gradation process has been completed, said the assessor and collector of tax.