Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): The Bhopal Municipal Corporation (BMC) is facing backlash from the opposition for allegedly collecting taxes at a revised increased rate of 10–15% without formal approval.
Leader of Opposition (LoP) Shabista Zaki has accused the civic body of violating rules by not including the ‘revised’ tax proposal in the Budget for 2025.
The BMC’s online tax portal, which had remained inactive since April 1, reopened on Wednesday allowing taxpayers to pay dues as per the newly revised rates.
Zaki pointed out that during the budget meeting held on April 3, opposition members had strongly objected to the proposed hike in taxes, citing procedural violations.
She claimed that revised tax rates were imposed without proper clarification or approval, and that the word ‘revised’ was missing from the budget agenda.
Talking to Free Press, Zaki said that officials are now attributing the omission of the word ‘revised’ to ‘printing error’, but this excuse is unacceptable. We have started legal consultations and plan to challenge the move in court, she added.
When approached for comment, Mayor Malti Rai declined to speak on the issue and instead asked to contact BMC officials and the municipal commissioner.
