Chief minister Prithviraj Chavan talks LBT with Mayor & Pune Municipal Corporation head

Pune: Amid opposition against Local Body Tax (LBT) by the traders’ community, chief minister Prithviraj Chavan has called city Mayor and the PMC Commissioner for a meeting in Mumbai to discuss LBT on Tuesday. 

The Pune Mayor had called a meeting of prominent personalities of Pune for communal harmony on Tuesday, however after the chief minister called mayor and PMC commissioner to Mumbai, the communal harmony meeting has been rescheduled to Wednesday. 
Ever since the state government abolished octroi and imposed LBT in 2013, the traders community across the state has been opposing LBT. In Pune, the traders’ community had gone on a strike for over two weeks when LBT was imposed from April 1, 2013. Even before the Lok Sabha elections, the traders community had announced that they would vote for the party which would abolish LBT. Now, before the state assembly elections, the traders community is planning to stir the whole issue of LBT and trying to pressure the government. 
The government has also shown some positive signs stating that they are verifying whether there are any alternatives available to LBT. 
Pune Mayor Chanchala Kodre told dna, “The issue of LBT is very important not only for the city but for the entire state. We got a call from the chief minster’s office that there is a meeting to discuss the issue of LBT in Mumbai on Tuesday and therefore I and PMC commissioner Vikas Deshmukh will be going to attend the meeting.”