High court to hear case on Local Body Tax today

NASHIK: The hearing of the state government’s decision to introduce Local Body Tax (LBT) in the limits of Nashik Municipal Corporation (NMC) is scheduled in the Bombay High Court on Thursday.
Earlier, the hearing on the petition filed by MNS and Shiv Sena corporators against the introduction of the LBT as substitute to octroi was held on August 9 in the HC. The court had extended the stay on introduction of LBT till Thursday (August 23) and scheduled the next hearing also for the same day.
After the decision of the state to introduce LBT in the NMC limits from July 1, the MNS corporator Gulzar Kokani and Shiv Sena’s opposition leader in NMC Sudhkar Badgujar had filed their petitions against LBT separately. Both cases were clubbed as points raised by both were same.
The petitioners argue that any new tax system must be announced by February 20, before the new financial year and the municipal commissioner must announce the new tax rates and get it passed at a general body meeting. However, the state has not done anything.