A CORRESPONDENT
SILCHAR: State Minister Krishnendu Paul assured residents that no taxes would be hiked in the newly formed Silchar Municipal Corporation (SMC) against the public's wishes, nor would trade license fees be raised beyond reasonable financial limits.
Speaking at a felicitation event organised by the Silchar Foodgrains Merchant Association, Paul, who is also the Guardian Minister of Cachar, made these promises to win the confidence of local voters and the business community, in particular, ahead of the upcoming municipal elections.
Addressing the gathering, Minister Paul stated that a thorough investigation would be conducted into the multi-fold increases in local taxes and fees imposed by the administration during the six years without an elected board. He asserted that strict action would be taken against those responsible, emphasising that Chief Minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma's government would not burden citizens with financial strains. Any future decisions, he assured, would be made only after assessing public consensus and financial capacities.
During his address, local traders voiced their grievances regarding persistent issues. A resident merchant, Shreedam Paul, pointed out that water tax had surged from Rs 60 to Rs 300 in recent years. In response, Minister Paul firmly pledged that this happened because there was no elected board. "If you used to pay Rs 60, you will continue paying Rs 60. Once the new municipal corporation takes charge, you won't have to pay Rs 300. You have my word," Paul claimed. He urged citizens to support the BJP, expressing confidence that the party would win in all 42 wards.