Hyderabad: Telangana BJP president G Kishan Reddy led a protest demonstration of party MLAs against the forceful collection of property taxes from people by GHMC (Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation) officials.

BJP leaders were protesting against the GHMC officials’ unusual attitude of frightening people in order to force them pay property taxes. They particularly decried the act of beating ‘drums of death’ in front of the houses.

Kishan Reddy reminded the GHMC officials about the strictures passed by the Hyderabad High Court over GHMC officials placing dust bins in front of the houses of such small-time vendors. “Beating of drums, placing dustbins and locking up the doors of these poor people are nothing but human rights violations,” he said.

The BJP state president objected to GHMC officials collecting taxes from those dependent on handicrafts and cottage industries for livelihood, by marking them as commercial enterprises.

The saffron party leaders came down heavily on the K Chandrashekar Rao-led Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) government for focusing on tax collection, while neglecting civic problems faced by the people. The BJP leaders even challenged the TRS government to try and indulge in forceful tax collections from people in the Old City.

BJP floor leader in the State Assembly, K Lakshman, called upon BJP workers to prevent GHMC officials from collecting the tax forcefully from people. “Institutions like temple, schools and government hospitals are exempted from paying property tax. But even they were slapped with notices in the name of tax default,” Lakshman rued.

 Other BJP legislators Chintala Ramachandra Reddy, NVSS Prabhakar and T Raja Singh took part in the dharna. Former MLA Baddam Balreddy, former Deputy Mayor Premsingh Rathod and president of Greater Hyderabad BJP Venkat Reddy among others were present.

Source: THI