Kolkata: The West Bengal Municipal Corporation (Amendment) Bill, 2018, has been passed in the Assembly on Wednesday that would allow the imposition of a penalty if steps are not taken to prevent mosquito breeding.
Besides the West Bengal Municipal Corporation (Amendment) Bill, 2018, the Howrah Municipal Corporation (Amendment) Bill 2018 and the West Bengal Municipal (Amendment) Bill 2018 were also passed in the Assembly on Wednesday. While discussing the Bills, state Urban Development and Municipal Affairs minister Firhad Hakim said the main intention is not to impose a penalty on anyone but the move will make people aware to do the needful in order to check mosquito breeding.
It may be mentioned that "if the owner or occupier or any person…fails or refuses to take measures…the Commissioner himself or any officer duly authorised by him may take measures and recover the cost of doing the same from the owner or the occupier…and shall also be liable to a penalty which shall not be less than Rs 1,000 but which may extend to Rs 1 lakh only."
The same Bill also ensures a proposal to waive 10 percent of the property tax for elderly citizens highlighting certain social implications as there were a few cases in which the elderly faced misbehaviour from their sons and daughters after they transferred all their property in the latter's' names. The Howrah Municipal Corporation (Amendment) Bill, 2018, also ensures the imposition of a penalty if proper measures are not taken to prevent mosquito breeding.