BEST transport cess may cost you 10% more on property tax

Come April 2016, your property tax bill may shoot up by 10 percent; thanks to Brihanmumbai electric supply and transport undertaking (BEST) approving levy of 'transport cess' in the property tax bills issued by the Brihanmumbai municipal corporation (BMC).

In Friday's standing committee meeting, Shiv Sena and BJP gave nod to recover transport division's losses from Mumbaikars, irrespective of whether they use BEST buses or not. Proposal will now be presented before the corporation council, which has Sena-BJP in majority, followed by consent from the state Assembly.

"This will not go down well with Mumbaikars and there will be a flood of petitions against it," said Ravi Raja of Congress, who staged a walkout from committee meeting along with Yakub Memon of Samajwadi Party.

In 2013, there were plans to levy 1 to 2 percent, but it has now shot up. "10 percent is an upper cap that has been kept, this does not mean the same percentage will be levied. The final levy depends on the decision taken by BMC and Assembly," said Dr Jagdish Patil, general manager of BEST.

Currently, BEST is levying 'transport division loss recovery' in its power bills. The last levy will be on March 2016, thereafter 'transport cess' in property bills will come in.