Raipur civic body’s tax notice to Baghel draws flak; Mayor says no physical notice, system update pending

Raipur: Former Chhattisgarh chief minister Bhupesh Baghel has received a property tax demand notice of Rs 7,258 from the Raipur Municipal Corporation for the government bungalow, Patan Sadan, which was allotted to him. The notice, issued on Thursday, was termed illegal by Baghel in a social media post. He wrote that he would pay the amount to Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai. "I promise to pay Rs 7,258 to Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Saiji!" Baghel wrote in the post. "Normally, property tax is not levied on government residences, yet I have received a notice from the Vishnu Deo government for the Patan Sadan, which I had vacated almost a year and a half ago. Even though this notice is illegal, I will still fulfil the wish of the chief minister. It’s better that he also be prepared, because soon his government will demand tax for the Kunkuri Sadan as well!" Patan Sadan, located at Shanti Nagar, Main Road in Raipur, has been renamed Kunkuri Sadan.

Congress leaders say the bungalow is reserved for people from different parts of the state who come for medical and other purposes. The bungalow was named Patan Sadan during the Congress government as Patan is Baghel's assembly constituency. Kunkuri is the constituency of Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai. Sushil Anand Shukla, head of the Congress' communication department, called the matter "ridiculous and a cause for concern."

He said there was no rule for levying property tax on government buildings. Shukla also said the government might be acting with prejudice or was unaware of the rules. Mayor Meenal Choubey told TOI that the municipal corporation did not send a physical notice. The demand bill was sent through an online bot to the mobile number on record. The property ID currently has a tax of zero, she said. The demand bill for this ID includes consolidated tax, water tax, and user charges, which have been paid in the past. Once the update is complete, everything will be streamlined, she said.