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Nagpur: The announcements of welfare schemes by Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) and their implementation never match. The ruling BJP, to receive pats on their backs, goes on dole announcements to woo various sections of society sans administrative preparedness. And hence draws flak. On the other hand, the would-be beneficiaries take rounds and rounds of NMC Headquarters to derive the benefits but return empty handed and humiliated, as well. The ex-servicemen and their families were taken for a ride by such hasty and unfruitful announcements on the part of the ruling class in NMC.
The Chairman of Tax Committee Girish Deshmukh had, from roof tops, announced that 40 percent Property Tax of Defence personnel honoured with gallantry medals, ex-servicemen who have served Armed Forces at least for 15 years, servicemen who have been rendered disabled and 100 percent waiver to widows of ex-servicemen would be waived. Besides, the waiver will also apply to the next of kin of Border Security Force, Central Reserve Police Force and Maharashtra police personnel who sacrificed their lives while fighting with Naxals, rioters as well as in natural calamities. The eligible persons will have to submit the necessary certificates issued by District Sainik Welfare Board officers along with other documents for availing the Property Tax waiver benefit, Deshmukh said.
Ironically, as soon as the Chairman of Tax Committee Deshmukh and Chief of Tax Department Milind Meshram made the announcement, the beneficiaries made a beeline to pay the Property Tax with waived off benefit to the respective zonal offices. However, the ex-servicemen, who fought and protected the country gallantly, were heaped with humiliation and sent back by the babus of Tax Department with the words “They have no directives or information regarding the waiver of 40 percent in Property Tax.”
Such an appalling incident came to the fore on Monday (July 25) when the controversial Ward Officer of Ashinagar Zone Vijay Humne rebuked an ex-serviceman and sent him back by saying the system has not been updated by the NMC Headquarters for the waiver clause. Humne reportedly rudely asked the veteran soldier to come to the zone office only when the system is updated. The ex-serviceman is not the only one to be snubbed by ‘arrogant’ NMC employees. It is the case with hundreds of others.
With this messy affairs of NMC in their mind, now the ex-servicemen are seriously contemplating to pay the Property Tax in full to save themselves from the humiliation of “40 percent waiver.”
