No immediate tax burden on Gandhinagar, says mayor Mahendrasinh Rana

Residents of Gandhinagar have good news as the mayor of the city, Mahendrasinh Rana, raises hopes of no immediate tax burden. He shares his priorities and plans for the city with DNA.

What will be your priorities as mayor?
Water crisis is a big issue. In the old sectors, the water pressure is very low and needs to be improved. Moreover, rangmanches are in bad shape in almost every sector. They are used by the middle class to conduct marriages and other ceremonies. We will renovate them. Besides, slum-dwellers do not get basic amenities. We will provide them drainage and water connections as well as electricity.

Has work begun in Gandhinagar Municipal Corporation?
It is a new experience for the political as well as administrative wing. The state government has transferred staff of earlier notified area to GMC. At present, we do not have any work other than sanitation, so there is no shortage of manpower. However, with new departments coming under our purview we will need more hands.

Have you decided about what services should fall under GMC's purview?
We are yet to take a call on that. The decision will be taken after consulting senior party leaders and office-bearers of GMC.

What are the sources of income of GMC?
At present, we have a Rs5 crore grant from the state government. It had given Rs3 crore as loan to GMC which has been repaid from the grant money. This is because we   did not want to pay interest.

What about taxes?
No tax will be imposed right now provided the state government keeps its promise of providing us a grant. Anandiben Patel had announced a grant of Rs25 crore to GMC before elections. If the state government provides the grant without any political bias, there will be no need to impose tax immediately. However, we will consult other municipal corporations and also study their tax structure for the future.