BJP promises to freeze water, property taxes for 20 years in Navi Mumbai

Thane: The Bharatiya Janata Party on Thursday released its manifesto for the Navi Mumbai municipal corporation election, promising that there would be no hike in the water and property taxes for the next 20 years.

The manifesto was released by Maharashtra BJP chief Ravindra Chavan and state minister and local leader Ganesh Naik.

The BJP would have its own Mayor in the city, said Chavan.

At the function, 12 Congress councillors from Ambernath joined the BJP. They were joining the party to ensure development works continue under the "double engine" BJP government of the state and Center, Chavan said.

Navi Mumbai is the only self-sufficient municipal corporation in India regarding water resources, Chavan noted.

"Workers from various parties are joining us in large numbers because they realize that staying with power is the only way to do justice to the citizens," the state BJP chief said, while also asserting that AIMIM members from Akot will not be inducted into the BJP.

Ganesh Naik assured that water and property taxes will not be increased for the next 20 years.

CIDCO lands will be made freehold, he said.

Without naming deputy Chief Minister and Shiv Sena chief Eknath Shinde, a BJP ally in the state, Naik claimed that the city suffered significantly when Fadnavis was not the chief minister.

He also alleged a Rs 3,000 crore fraud and demanded a full audit of the work conducted over the last five years under the administrator's rule.

Unified Development Control and Promotion Regulations (UDCPR) have caused "great loss" to the city and the current FSI (Floor Space Index) allocations was "gifts" that, if used, would "completely destroy" the city's urban fabric, Naik said.

He also alleged that CIDCO officials were selling off plots reserved for Municipal Corporation projects.