Clean Thane Mission

Be it making bio-fuel from nirmalya (holy waste) or making the city digi-smart by launching an app, Thane has seen a wide range of developments in all spheres and always been at the forefront of new changes. Interestingly, Thane Municipal Corporation has ensured public participation in all initiatives.
With major infrastructural projects in the pipeline and several developments already taking place in the city, there is also a need to ensure cleanliness. And so, on 20th June, Mayor Sanjay More announced a cleanliness competition for housing societies, residential complexes and even slums of Thane. “The societies which win in this competition will be rewarded with 5% rebate in property tax for one year,” said Sandeep Malvi, Public Relations Officer, TMC.

While larger housing societies will be adjudged on parameters like solid waste management, tree plantation, efficient water utilisation, rain water harvesting, maintenance of fire equipment, regular payment of TMC taxes, voting awareness among residents, etc, slums in the city will be ranked on cleanliness of surroundings, water utilisation, gutter and nullah cleaning, electricity maintenance, etc.

The contest begins on July 15 and ends on September 15. TMC will examine the participant societies and slums from September 16 to October 16. Interested housing societies and slums can fill up the forms available at SWM office at Pachpakhadi by July 15.

Thanekars gear up for Cleanliness contest!

Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) chose a unique way of celebrating Ambedkar Jayanti this year. Thane is one city which is taking the Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan very seriously. After running a successful movement to make the city defecation-free, the civic body has now introduced a cleanliness competition for housing societies and slums where the winners will enjoy a five per cent rebate in yearly property tax amount.

“The entry for this contest begins on April 14 and the last date to fill forms is April 30,” said Sandip Malvi, public relations officer, TMC. “The contest will start from May 1 and end on July 31. The contestants will be reviewed from August 1 to August 14,” he added.

The TMC has set certain parameters on which the contenders will be evaluated. The parameters on which contestants will be scored are – clean surroundings (20 points), solid waste management (15 points), tree plantation (10), use of solar power (10), rainwater harvesting (10 points), functional fire equipment (10), voter registration (10) and no defaults in property tax payments (5 points).

“The winner in housing complexes category will get 5% rebate in annual property tax, while for the winning slums, the municipal corporation will undertake development work to the tune of Rs. 10 lakh to Rs15 lakh,” added Malvi.

The residents of Thane have welcomed this move. Some societies in the city who have a rain water harvesting system already enjoy a rebate in property tax and the new contest has excited Thanekars. This cleanliness drive however, should not be limited to the competition only; rather good practices should be maintained throughout.

Thane Municipal Corporation

While presenting the annual budget of the civic body to the Standing Committee, The Municipal commissioner of Thane Sanjeev Jaiswal has proposed a hike of 10% in property taxes, both residential and commercial.

The Rs 2549.82 crore budget for 2016-17 already includes Rs 230.10 crore surplus carried forward from the previous year.  Jaiswal said there has not been any increase in the property tax since long, adding that “If this hike is approved, it will help the Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) to earn additional Rs 31 crore. The hike in the property tax is proposed from current 26 to 36 per cent for residential purpose to 48.50 per cent for non-residential purpose from the present 38.50 per cent.

In The meeting chaired by TMC standing committee chairman Naresh Mhaske, it was communicated that the civic body is expected to garner Rs 700 crore from Local Body Tax, Rs 456 crore from property tax, fees, and government taxes, Rs 515 crore from development fees, Rs 150 crore from water cess, Rs 180 crore from grants from Maharashtra and Union governments.

Property Tax

This time Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) is going to be tuff on property as well as water tax offenders because now corporations planning to release the list of property tax evaders in public. With a need to meet the fiscal deficit now municipal corporations is planning to take rough steps against those who have not cleared their property tax. However; The KDMC (Kalyan Dombivli Municipal Corporation) is ready to confiscate private belongings such as; fridge, television and washing machines and the TMC (Thane Municipal Corporation) has decided to make the names of property tax defaulters public.

According to Sanjeev Jaiswal, The Chief of TMC, “Soon we will release the list in public and it will contain the name of all those who have not cleared their property tax and it will applicable on those whose tax billing amounts are running in lakhs and even crores because from past many years such people haven’t filled their taxes”. The more he added that the water connection of water tax defaulters will be disconnected till the payment of bills. There are number of citizens who avoid paying their water and property tax and now corporation is ready to make tough decisions.

For the fiscal year 2015-16, the TMC has set the target of Rs 350 crore only through the property tax collection. According to KDMC officials, “It could be difficult time for tax defaulters because there are many defaulters who are waiting for the amnesty schemes of KDMC to pay the taxes, where they can get away without paying the penalty on late tax payments. The KDMC has announced that they could be confiscate household belongings of property tax defaulters.

A study of Ghodbunder residential property boom

By the hillside, Ghodbunder road was once a forest land. A few years ago, the view was breathtaking as the rainwater stream passes through the hills, charming many nature lovers. A closer view of the hill, less traffic movement, and tranquility drew many residents to Ghodbunder road area.

From a farmland to a residential area, over the years, the locality has bloomed into a beautiful colony with tastefully built houses, residential towers, swanky malls and multiplexes, air conditioned schools and colleges and, of course, ample stretches of greenery.

Except a row of buildings that line the 80-ft. road, most lanes in the colony have a sloping terrain.

12 years back the cost of a 500 sq ft residential flat was just Rs.5 lakh here. Today, the price of a one BHK is above Rs.45 lakh.

“We never thought that the land value would shoot up so much over the years. The place gained popularity when former municipal commissioner T Chandrashekhar developed the infrastructure along the road. He was instrumental in getting the layout approved. A few years ago; the view was breathtaking as the rainwater stream passes through the hills, charming many nature lovers.

“It was like a dream come true for us to stay close to nature and enjoy the scenic beauty of hills along with the watercourse. However, due to the land reclamation by the builders, the stream has eventually disappeared,” says Rajaram Patil, who has been residing in Brahmand colony for the last 16 years.

The TMC is taking care of the colony’s maintenance and people have no complaints as far as water supply and streetlights are concerned. “For a person like me, the locality is most preferred as I don’t have to commute much to procure any kind of stuff outside. But for those who have to move around frequently, the scenario is different, as they have to navigate through the steep lanes says G. Padma, one of the residents.

Ghodbunder road residential area which now falls in Thane municipal limits is attracting hordes of people from in and around Mumbai since decades due to its calm and serene locales. People love to buy residential spaces here as the locality is self-contained and lacks nothing.