Indore News: Congress Protests Outside Civic Chief Office Against MOS Tax

Indore (Madhya Pradesh): Congress workers on Tuesday staged a protest outside the municipal commissioner’s office opposing the property tax being imposed on margin of space (MOS) areas in residential houses.

Party leaders submitted a memorandum demanding that the civic body immediately withdraw the tax.

The protest was led by Leader of Opposition in the IMC and City Congress president Chintu Chouksey. Addressing party workers during the demonstration, Chouksey said the decision to levy property tax on open spaces in houses was unjustified and should be revoked.

“The tax being imposed on MOS areas of houses is arbitrary. The corporation should stop recovering this tax from citizens,” Chouksey said. He added that if the IMC failed to withdraw the tax, Congress would intensify its agitation on the ground.

In the memorandum submitted to municipal commissioner Kshitij Singhal, Congress stated that homeowners already leave MOS in their houses as part of building norms and imposing additional property tax on such spaces would put an unnecessary financial burden on residents.

Chouksey warned that Congress workers would oppose any attempt by civic officials to collect the tax from residents. “If assistant revenue officers of the corporation go to collect this tax, we will reach the spot and protest. Our protest will be peaceful and conducted in a Gandhian manner,” he said.

He also alleged that the state government was using the municipal corporation to impose the tax arbitrarily and said Congress would oppose the move at every level.

Mayor says decision on tax taken by state government

Responding to the controversy over the property tax being imposed on MOS, Mayor Pushyamitra Bhargav said the decision was taken by the state government and not by the IMC.

Bhargav clarified that no such proposal had been brought before the Mayor-in-Council (MiC) of the civic body. “No proposal regarding this has been placed before the MiC of the municipal corporation. This is a decision of the state government, which is being implemented,” he said.