Property owners in cities such as Mumbai, Pune, and Aurangabad in Maharashtra will have to pay property tax based on capital value, only from April 1, 2012.

“All major municipal corporations have informed the State government that the process of migrating from Ready Reckoner based valuation of property to capital value has been delayed. These corporations are unable to meet the earlier deadline of April 1, 2011. Therefore, the one-year extension has been given,” said the Chief Minister, Mr Prithviraj Chavan.

Briefing the media after the weekly Cabinet meeting on Wednesday, Mr Chavan said the audit of valuation of properties in the cities would be carried out by Property Tax Board under the chairmanship of a retired Supreme Court or High Court judge.

The Board will identify anomalies in the property tax structure and suggest changes. It will also look at deliberate mistakes done by municipal authorities in computing the taxes.

Women's quota

The Cabinet approved a proposal for 50 per cent reservation for women in local self-government bodies in the State. Once the law gets enacted, half the seats in the municipalities and zilla parishads will have to be reserved for women.

The State Government will introduce a Bill in the forthcoming budget session of the Assembly, giving 50 per cent reservation to women in local government bodies, Mr Chavan said. Mr Chavan said the Cabinet also decided to give transport subsidy to those cooperatives sugar factories in the State which will continue to process excess sugarcane after March 16.

Published on March 9, 2011