Bengaluru, July 3 (KNN) MSMEs of Karnataka have urged the state government to fix the industrial property tax in industrial areas under the jurisdiction of Gram Panchayat, Town Panchayat, Municipality, Nagar Sabha, City Corporation at 50% lower rate than commercial property tax.

Ahead of the state budget presentation on July 7, Mysore Industries Association and the Council of MSMEs submitted a list of suggestion to the state government.

In view of property tax, they have demanded fixing of Order / Act to use 80% of tax collected in industrial area for facilities of industrial areas.

MSMEs have complained that currently the industrial areas are deprived of civic amenities even though they pay expensive property tax as industrial owners and workers are not voters of the area.

They have called for the establishment of Mysore Industrial Town Authority with a grant of Rs 100 crore under the Urban Council Act of 2003.

Electricity rates which has been the burning issue for industries, have requested the state government to come to the aid of all the consumers by reducing the current rate of electricity consumption tax from 9% to 2%.

“We would like to bring to your attention that this tax cut will not have much effect on the government as the government is subsidizing 97% of the consumers of Griha Jyothi Yojana to Eskoms,” pointed out Suresh Kumar Jain, Providing Secretary, Mysore Industries Association.

Industries are also seeking action for allotment of industrial plots at 50% concessional rate to micro and small industries.

“The Government should provide the site of the common facility center of the industrial clusters free of cost as it is a public asset of the Government,” said Jain.

Further the association has surged the state government to conduct distribution of Aadhaar linked identity card and labour facility to all categories of workers including local, migrant workers, daily wage workers.  (KNN Bureau)