Theatre and hotel owners oppose Mysuru civic body's double property tax
Members of the associations held a meeting on Tuesday to discuss the issue. Hotel Owners Association president C Narayana Gowda told STOI that MCC’s decision was unscientific.
MYSURU: The representatives of the Hotel Owners Association, Theatre Owners Association, and Choultry Owners Association have decided to meet district minister ST Somashekar over Mysuru City Corporation’s (MCC) decision to double the property tax.
Members of the associations held a meeting on Tuesday to discuss the issue. Hotel Owners Association president C Narayana Gowda told STOI that MCC’s decision was unscientific.
“Due to the lockdown, owners of hotels, theatres, choultries and others businesses are unable to pay regular tax. We are in deep financial crisis. In such a situation, levying double tax is distressing,” he said.
Gowda said Santhosh Theatre in Bengaluru, which is on 40,000 sq ft with a constructed area of 32,000 sq ft pays Rs 3.3 lakh property tax every year. “But Gayatri Theatre in Mysuru, which is on 18,000 sq ft, with a building on 13,500 sq ft must pay Rs 4.65 lakh tax. All commercial building in Mysuru face a similar problem. No corporation in the state collects such a heavy tax,” he said.
Gowda said MCC has classified hotels, choultries, and theatres as super commercials. “There are only two categories, domestic and commercial. But MCC has illegally classified commercial buildings as commercial, big commercial, and super commercial. These terms were coined by KS Raikar when he was MCC commissioner 12 years ago,” he said.