By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: To overcome its poor financial condition, the Shillong Municipal Board (SMB) has decided to go for revision of property tax.
Talking to The Shillong Times here, T Lyngwa, CEO, SMB said that the revision of property tax was needed to streamline and restructure the board.
“We are in the final stages and we will implement it soon,” he said.
The property tax was last revised in 2007 and as per rules the board is supposed to revise it in every five years.
When the SMB is going through a severe financial crisis, its employees have issued a 30-day deadline to pay their pending arrears, which amounts to Rs 3 crore.
However, the CEO has a different take on the demand as he stated that the Board being an autonomous body is not bound to follow any pay revision rules for its employees.
“They are not Government employees and they are not under the Government service rules,” he said.
The SMB CEO also pointed out that in the past the board was able to pay arrears to its employees as the financial position was good that time.
The Board needs approximately Rs 65 lakh a month to pay salary to its 555 employees.
SMB employees receive June salary
Meanwhile, the Shillong Municipal Employees Association (SMEA) has informed that the employees have received their salary for the month of June.
Stating that the remuneration for the month of July was yet to be received, the SMEA said that even though the Urban Affairs Minister, Ampareen Lyngdoh, has been trying hard to redress its problems, her efforts have not reaped any benefits.
“As far as the release of Rs.1.6 crore and Rs 1.4 crore in previous years towards the requirement of the Municipality is concerned, the Constitution of India has laid provisions for the release of such grants from time to time and the same should not be viewed as an act of charity towards the organisaton,” the SMEA statement said.
