Water tax hike in Malda opposed

Statesman News Service

MALDA, Oct. 29: Malda Merchants’ Chamber of Commerce has raised serious objection to the hike in water tax on commercial establishments and has sent a letter to the English Bazaar civic body saying that they are not going to cough up extra money as per the new rate to be implemented from November. The civic body is also planning to hike water tax in the domestic sector as well. The LF board had reduced the rate of water tax which was introduced by the earlier board led by the Trinamul Congress and the BJP but after coming into power, the Congress, Trinamul Congress and the BJP-led board recently revised the water tax rate. The secretary of MMCC, Mr Jayanta Kundu, said: “ We are going to stick to the present rate.” He said that traders are also not going to accept the hike. It was also alleged the civic body did not bother to inform the traders’ body before adopting the decision to increase the rate of water tax. The water tax for hotels and restaurants was fixed at Rs 300 for a month when it was implemented for the first time. Then the association had lodged a protest. The civic body chief, Mr Narendranath Tiwari , said: “They have every right to raise objections. But they will have to pay the tax fixed by the civic body.”