MC octroi auction comes under fire

FEROZEPUR, Oct 1: Six-monthly contract to a private party to collect municipal octroi tax of Bathinda Municipal Council was auctioned by deputy director Local Government Ferozepore G.K.Singh here today in the local Municipal Town Hall Ferozepore againat the highest bid of Rs 2,82,50,000 compared to the government demand of Rs 2.7 crore for six months.

Bathinda Municipal authorities had failed to conduct public auction of its municipal octroi due to stiff opposition by Bathinda Beopar Mandal. Hence the authorities had shifted venue of auction from Bathinda to Ferozepur.

A group of over 100 Beopari agitators arrived here today in buses led by Beopar Mandal president Madan Lall Kapur, Bathinda, raising anti-Badal slogans to protest today in front of the local Town Hall against the auction bid of the Bathinda municipal octroi in violation of the SAD-BJP election public commitment assuring to abolish the municipal octroi.