Bengaluru, Mar 12 (IANS): Karnataka BJP on Tuesday slammed the Congress government’s move to increase the property tax in Bengaluru.

“The Congress government is all set to increase the property tax in Bengaluru. People are already facing the consequence of spending thousands on water tankers and the move to hike property tax is like rubbing the salt on their wounds,” Leader of the Opposition (LoP) R. Ashoka said.

“Shivakumar, what moral rights do you have to increase the property tax, when you are not able to ensure crucial basic amenities such as water,” he questioned.

“You do not have any right to ask for a single paisa of tax from the people of Bengaluru until the water crisis is resolved,” Ashoka said.

BJP Karnataka State President B.Y. Vijayendra said that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister Shivakumar, who always talks about ‘Brand Bengaluru’ are all set to hike the property tax from 5.3 per cent to 8.2 per cent and fleece people. They are up to making ‘Bad Bengaluru’.

“They flash guarantees always and in the background, they indulge in extorting money by increasing taxes one after the other. The time has come where the people will teach the Congress a befitting lesson,” he stated.

On Monday, Shivakumar said that there are 18 lakh property owners in Bengaluru who do not come under the property tax bracket and it is important to bring them into the tax bracket.

Addressing a press conference at Vidhana Soudha, he said: "The property taxes were revised upwards in 2016 by about 20 per cent for residential buildings and 25 per cent for commercial properties. The property tax rates were not increased for the last eight years. After deliberations, we have decided to fix the property tax increase to 10 per cent."