Thanekars get civic tax relief of 19 per cent

Not only have Thanekars been spared a tax hike this year but they will also pay 19 per cent less tax on water, sewerage and road, after Thane's guardian minister Eknath Shinde requested the Thane Municipal Corporation to reduce the tax burden on Thanekars.

According to the 2017-18 TMC budget, Thanekars were to pay 34 per cent water and sewerage benefit. Residential properties were to pay 34 per cent tax while commercial units had to pay 31 per cent. However, due to the TMC's late approval, the tax could not be levied last year. The civic body decided to go ahead with the tax this year but Shinde's intervention made the civic body rethink the tax and decide against it.

"Now instead of 19 per cent, only a 5 per cent hike, which was due in 2017-18, has been imposed," said a senior official from TMC's property tax department. Residents will now pay 17 per cent as water benefit tax, 14 per cent as sewerage benefit tax and 10 per cent as sewerage tax. For commercial units, it will be 22 per cent as water benefit tax, 17.5 per cent as sewerage benefit tax and 13 per cent as sewerage tax. Earlier, the residents had to pay 12 per cent as water benefit, 9 per cent as sewerage benefit tax and 5 per cent for sewerage tax.

"This is definitely good news as every year the budget brings more and more increase in taxes compared to the services provided by the TMC," said Mangesh Patil, a resident from Thane west.