Hundreds of workers of the Samajwadi Party, the CPI(M), the CPI(M-L) Liberation and the Forward Bloc on Friday staged a demonstration before the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) office here demanding withdrawal of the hike in the holding tax and a Crime Branch (CB) inquiry into the ‘illegal’ parking fees collections by the BMC.
Samajwadi Party State president Rabi Behera led the demonstration where CPI(M) leader Suresh Panigrahi, Forward Bloc leader Jyoti Ranjan Mohapatra, CPI(M-L) Liberation’ Mahendra Parida and SP leader Sudarshan Pradhan spoke. They alleged that the holding tax hike by the BMC is irrational, anti-people and undemocratic. They too questioned tax imposition in absence of an elected body.
‘The BMC has totally failed in making availale of basic amenities to the people of the capital city and imposed a ‘Jizya Tax’ to exploit them,” said they.
They demanded a Crime Branch inquiry into the illegal parking fee collection and stern actions against those involved in the collection.
BMC Additional Commissioner Surath Chandra Mallick came to the spot and received the memorandum from the protesters. He assured the agitating leaders that he would take up their demands with the Government for necessary action.
Among others, Pravat Panigrahi, Sanjay Nayak, Sarla Marndi, Bijaya Behera, Chittaranjan Mohanty, Bansidhara Parida, Dipti Panda and Narayan Dalua also spoke.
The leaders warned that they would take the movement to the 15 lakh residents if the BMC doesn’t hold the tax hike in abeyance till an elected municipal corporation comes to power.