Former mayor questions tax increase amid global tensions

Mysuru: Former mayor Shivakumar on Saturday questioned the need for increasing taxes amid the ongoing global tensions involving Iran, Israel and the United States, which have already pushed people into economic distress.He told reporters that citizens have already been burdened, and the recent hike in milk prices by the govt has added to their difficulties. "At this juncture, the Mysuru City Corporation has further aggravated the situation by increasing property and water taxes," he said.Shivakumar raised concerns over the uneven collection of water taxes across the city. He questioned whether water tax is being collected in all wards, pointing out that in several areas there are no water metres, and in some places, taxes are not being collected at all.He alleged that in most parts of the NR Constituency, houses either lack water metres or have metres that are deliberately kept non-functional. He urged the Mysuru City Corporation officials to pay serious attention to these issues. "If officials are hesitant to visit certain areas, they should go with adequate security," he said.Criticising the authorities, he stated that tax collection is being enforced only on honest citizens who regularly pay their bills. He demanded the release of a white paper detailing ward-wise tax collection figures and sought transparency on how the collected funds are being utilised.