WATCHDOG

PRESS INVITE PRESS INVITE PRESS INVITE

PRESS CONFERENCE; Date: Monday, 11^TH 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 11^th 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.

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