WATCHDOG
PRESS INVITE PRESS INVITE
PRESS INVITE
PRESS CONFERENCE; Date: Monday, 11TH March. Time: 2.45 p.m.
Venue: Mumbai Marathi Patrakar Sangh, Azad Maidan.
The Watchdog Foundation along with 40 odd NGO's like Sahar Citizen Forum, SOUL
Team, various Cooperative Housing Societies/Federations etc. would make a power
point presentation on the issue of unjust, illogical and arbitrary levy of
Property Tax by the Mumbai Municipal Corporation with retrospective effect on
11th March 2013, at Mumbai Marathi Patrakar Sangh, Azad Maidan, Mumbai at 2.45
p.m.
We on behalf of honest Property Tax Payers of Mumbai, are aghast and upset in
the manner in which the Government of Maharashtra and Mumbai Municipal
Corporation [MCGM], have sought to rationalize the property taxes for the
residents of Mumbai. The whole purpose of rationalizing of the property taxes
is defeated by the new property tax rules. We submit that if the suggestions
made by us are accepted in toto, the MCGM need not raise the property taxes at
all at least for another 20 years.
We have already given an open invitation to MCGM, that we the citizens will
act gratuitously and provide the expert guidance in the matter of stopping
wastage of public money in the construction of good durable roads ( pothole
free roads ), stopping leakages of 50% water theft, plug the loopholes in
octroi evasion and in the lifting of garbage ( garbage trucks are half
filled/half empty), better financial management, pruning the employee workforce
( introduce more e - governance ), speedier one window building approvals ( at
present you need to go through at least 25 odd approval processes in the
Building Proposal Dept. ) and protection of municipal properties and estates.
We know that our aforesaid gratuitous offer will not go down well with the
administration and the powers that be.
Having said that, let us apprise you on whole gamut of the present property
tax issues and its improper, illegal and illogical implementation by the State
Government and MCGM.
We will spell out our next course of action at the venue of the Press
Conference.
We kindly request you to depute your REPRESENTATIVE / CAMERAMAN to cover
above event.
For Watchdog Foundation
Nicholas Almeida / Adv. Godfrey Pimenta Dolphy
D'souza
Trustees
Spokesperson- SOUL Team
Cell: 08898652296/ 09819730201
09820226227
Almeida House, Church Road no 02, Sahar, Vile Parle East, Mumbai 400 099
http://www.thewatchdog.in
Dated: 8th March 2013
