AMC to take merchants into confidence before levying license fee in city

Aurangabad, March 3:

The administrator of Aurangabad Municipal Corporation (AMC),

A K Pandey, today clarified that the civic administration will levy license fee in the city after having a discussion with the business fraternity and taking them into confidence. The state administration is questioning the AMC over the delay in the implementation, he underlined.

It is learnt that the AMC delayed in implementation of the state government's order regarding license fee by seven years. The Accountant General (AG Nagpur) raised its strong objection. The public accounts committee (PAC) of the state government also took serious cognizance. Hence the AMC, during the hearing, assured the PAC of implementing it from the new financial year (2021-22). Accordingly, the AMC, as per the state government, has decided to levy license fee in the city from April 1.

It has started the process of implementation, but there is strong opposition to it from the business fraternity. They underlined that they are already paying various kinds of taxes to the government, apart from property tax and water tax to the AMC. Hence they do not want a further burden in the form of the license fee.

Pandey clarified that the AMC would have to collect the license fee. There is no way out in the issue either to the AMC or the business fraternity. We will hold a discussion and take them into confidence before implementing the license fee. The collection will not be a one-sided decision, but with their consent.