BERHAMPUR: The civic authorities here have decided to stop collection of taxes from cyclists, rickshaw pullers and bullock-cart drivers from the next financial year. "The move will help thousands of students as well as encourage other denizens of Berhampur to ride cycles, which will ultimately help in reducing pollution. It will also help poor rickshaw and cart pullers in the town," Berhampur Municipal Corporation (BMC) mayor Siba Shankar Das said. The announcement was made during the presentation of the BMC budget for 2011-12 on Wednesday. Das added that the suspension of collection of taxes on cycles and rickshaws will also help the municipal corporation to save revenue. "While the BMC collects around Rs 1.50 lakh in taxes from these modes of transport, the civic body has to spend about Rs 5 lakh for the whole process," the mayor said. The BMC imposes annual taxes of Rs 10, Rs 20 and Rs 30 per cycle, rickshaw and bullock cart respectively. An extra Rs 5, Rs 10 and Rs 15 were collected as penalty. BMC officials said the corporation had collected over Rs 1.44 lakh in taxes from these vehicles till February 2011. On the other hand, it had spent around Rs 4.72 lakh in purchase of tokens, publishing advertisements to invite quotations and cost of establishment, the officials added. The BMC budget also proposes to spend around Rs 50 lakh in each of the town's 37 wards on roads and sanitation. "We have decided to construct public toilets with modern amenities near all ponds for the convenience of general public," the mayor said.
Source: Times of India
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