Pay house property tax: MAHUD minister to legislators

Imphal: MAHUD minister Yumnam Khemchand appealed to all legislators residing in municipal areas to start paying property tax to set an example for the public.

Khemchand made his appeal to the members of the Manipur Legislative Assembly and the public through the assembly floor on Friday during the 6th session of the 12th Manipur Legislative Assembly.

He was clarifying a cut motion raised by opposition MLA Th. Lokeshwar regarding the lack of policy for implementing building bye-laws in the state and the inability to implement a proper value tax Act.

The opposition MLA sought clarification from the MAHUD minister, regarding the construction of many houses in municipal areas without consulting construction engineers, architects, and other experts.

He said due to the lack of a proper policy for implementing bye-laws in the state, many multi-storey buildings, such as those in Thangal Bazar, are vulnerable to public safety risks. He warned that these buildings could claim many lives in natural calamities.

He sought clarification from the MAHUD minister on the status of house property tax collection, which has already been implemented.

Minister Khemchand said the building bye-laws have been implemented in the state since 1969. However, due to a lack of proper enforcement, many people do not follow the bye-laws.Bye-laws are updated from time to time, with various meetings conducted along with officials from MAHUD, the Town Planning department, and municipalities.

“If the government were to demolish buildings that violate the bye-laws, 90 percent of the buildings could be affected. However, the government prioritizes public welfare, so proper steps will only be taken if there is a significant risk to public property.”

The minister informed the House that the government will strive to enforce the bye-laws more stringently. Necessary steps, including mandatory adherence to the bye-law guidelines, will be implemented for future constructions.

Collection of house property tax has already started in municipal areas and will be further extended to the Greater Imphal area, he added.

MLA Lokeshwar withdrew his cut motion on the demand, and the House passed the demand unanimously.