Navi Mumbai: Forest minister Ganesh Naik has instructed the mayor, the deputy mayor and the governing party’s group leader in Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation to waive the three-fold property tax penalty imposed on ‘need-based houses’ in gaothans over unauthorised additional construction. He also sought that a panel be formed to present a white paper on the civic works undertaken in the last six years, when NMMC was under administrative rule. NMMC sources said the law allows enforcement of such a penalty and it has been imposed since Jan 2008. Its waiver will benefit over 75,000 property holders. At a meeting with mayor Sujata Patil, deputy mayor Dashrath Bhagat and BJP group leader Sagar Naik, the minister issued directives to take immediate decisions in the interest of public welfare and city development. He said a proposal to revoke the penalty will be placed before an upcoming general body meeting, adding that the elected body has the power to change the policy. Naik said when NMMC was under the administrator’s rule, he and many residents had raised objections to certain decisions. “To present the factual details of that tenure, a high-level committee will be formed to prepare a white paper.” The NMMC budget is set to be presented in March. Naik said property taxes and water charges were not raised in the last 25 years, and there will be no such hike in the future too. —B B Nayak
