Congress pays 10-year tax dues on office building

SURAT: The city unit of the Congress has paid property tax dues of ten years on its office building here amounting to Rs 1.09 lakh following an intense tax recovery campaign by the BJP-ruled Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC). The Congress had called a meeting of its local leaders recently and thus raised the tax amount.
City unit Congress president Ashok Jirawala said, "It came to our notice that property tax dues were pending.We have paid them and the issue is over."
Mayor Raju Desai said, "SMC seals properties of common people who default in paying taxes amounting to just Rs 1000. How the Congress that had not paid the property taxes for ten years could then be spared?"
A former city unit Congress president said, "The party certainly has suffered a loss of face for not paying property tax dues for ten years."