In a major victory for Punekars, the scheme for a 40 per cent discount on property tax has been reinstated in the city. Thus, the residents will now get a 40% property tax discount for self-occupied properties in the Pune Municipal Corporation limits.
In addition to this scheme, 5 per cent maintenance expenditure from April 1, 2010, will also be waived off.
The decision will be approved in the next cabinet meeting.
The decision was taken on Friday in a meeting held in Mumbai by Chief Minister EKnath Shide, deputy Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis and Guardian Minister Chandrakant Patil.
In today's meeting, former Pune mayor Murlidhar Mohol, and MLA Siddharth Shirole were also present.
Opposition and ruling party leaders follwed up the issue
The issue was followed up by opposition and ruling party leaders. While a delegation of BJP leaders led by Guardian minister Chandrakant Patil met chief minister Eknath Shinde last week, NCP legislators Sunil Tingre and Chetan Tupe staged a protest at the entrance of the state legislative assembly in Mumbai demanding the restoration of the discount scheme. They also submitted a letter to the chief minister and the deputy chief minister listing their demand. Even the newly elected Congress MLA, Ravindra Dhangekar, met the Additional Commissioner of the Pune Municipal Corporation last week.
The state will be going to crucial local bodies elections, including Pune Municipal Corporation Polls. Sensing the civic body polls, all the political parties have taken up the issue after the demands were raised by Pune residents.
What is the scheme?
The discount was given by the Pune civic body to residential property owners in Pune since the Panshet dam wall burst tragedy. The state government during the tenure of Devendra Fadnavis as chief minister had directed the PMC to cancel the discount scheme.
