A CORRESPONDENT
SILCHAR: State Housing and Urban Development Minister Kaushik Rai stated that strict action would be taken against those who had violated government norms while hiking the municipal tax in Silchar without having any elected body for the last six years.
Questions had arisen regarding whether the tax hikes implemented during this period received prior government approval. Rai, while speaking to this correspondent, said that Ankur Das, Commissioner of the Silchar Municipal Corporation (SMC), had already investigated the matter and submitted a detailed report to the Department of Housing and Urban Affairs (DoHUA). However, following the announcement of the municipal election dates, the department had temporarily deferred further action on the matter.
The minister indicated that several activities conducted during the absence of an elected municipal board raised serious suspicion. Shortly after assuming charge of the department under the new government, Minister Rai ordered an external audit by an independent agency to examine allegations of a 'syndicate raj' within the Silchar Municipal Corporation. He firmly stated that strict disciplinary action would be taken against any official found involved in irregularities.
Rai also expressed confidence regarding the upcoming municipal elections, asserting that the BJP-AGP alliance would easily secure 37 to 38 out of the 42 wards.
Earlier on Monday, during a meeting of the Silchar Foodgrains Merchants Association, Krishnendu Paul, Minister for the Development of Barak Valley Region, noted that the circumstances and decision-making process behind the hikes in trade licenses and municipal taxes would be thoroughly investigated. He assured residents that they could continue paying municipal taxes at the previous rates.
Addressing the tax structure, Minister Rai explained that municipal taxes were revised across the state in 2022. In the absence of an elected board in Silchar, statutory rules required prior approval from the State Government before implementing any tax increase. The investigation is examining whether the Silchar Municipal Corporation obtained the necessary authorisation before revising rates, a detail also included in the commissioner's report. The ministry plans to address these findings once the election process concludes.
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