Indore (Madhya Pradesh): Nearly a year after Indore Municipal Corporation budget for session 2024-25 was passed in IMC’s council meeting, Congress on Friday announced plans to stage protests against hike in civic body taxes, calling it a betrayal of the public.
Leader of Opposition in IMC, Chintu Choukse, declared on Thursday that Congress workers will surround all zonal offices of the corporation in protest.
Choukse strongly criticised the civic body’s decision to raise various taxes, including property and water taxes, as well as garbage transportation fees. "The IMC has placed the burden of a tax hike on every citizen in the city," he said in a statement. "Congress stands firmly against this move and will launch a ground-level agitation," he added.
Referring to last year’s budget, Choukse reminded that Mayor Pushyamitra Bhargav had initiated a tax increase for 535 colonies, promising a future rise. “Now, they’ve changed the slab system for determining property tax, which will result in a hike across the city. This will also impact garbage collection fees for many households,” he said.
The water tax has also been increased from Rs 200 to Rs 300 per month. Choukse accused the BJP-led IMC of “cheating the public by silently pushing through a tax burden of Rs 200 crore.”
He added that despite the tax hike, basic services remain inadequate. “The IMC is failing to supply sufficient water. Roads are in poor condition and citizens are already troubled. In the midst of this, a secretive and arbitrary tax hike is being imposed. This will not go unchallenged.”
The Congress leader said a strategy is being prepared for a sustained movement. “The first step will be to gherao all zonal offices of the Corporation. This protest will intensify if the decision is not rolled back,” he warned.
