Mumbai Mayor demands BMC should be kept out of GST ambit

Even though Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) ally Shiv Sena is supporting the GST Constitution Amendment Bill in Parliament, the Sena-ruled Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) wants the civic body to be kept out of the indirect tax ambit.

"Keeping in mind the fact that Mumbai is the country's financial capital, BMC's jurisdiction should be kept out of the GST ambit," said a statement issued by the civic body on behalf of the city's Mayor and Sena politician, Snehal Ambekar.

Ambekar chaired a meeting of the Maharashtra Mayors' Council at her Dadar residence o 7 August.

The Council comprises 26 Mayors across the state.

The meeting was arranged by the Akhil Bharatiya Sthanik Swarajya Sanstha and was attended by 12 Mayors from across the state.

"With the funds collected through direct revenues and other taxes, BMC executes a number of infrastructural projects and schemes. (However), the GST will result in delays in getting grants from the concerned government, which will further delay these projects," the statement said.

Ambekar also appealed to the Centre to assign more "administrative powers" to Mayors in Maharashtra.

"In many other countries, the Mayor is vested with administrative and financial powers to execute the projects. However, here in Maharashtra there is no such power given to the Mayor," the statement added.

--PTI