Darjeeling, Aug. 11/VIVEK CHHETRI: The employees of the Darjeeling municipality have decided to prevent the chairperson of the board of administrators from entering his office from Tuesday unless he restores the task of collecting property tax to the civic staff.
The subdivisional officer of Darjeeling, Tamal Das, is the chairperson of the board of administration.
The municipality had on June 6 introduced a new system, under which the residents could pay their property taxes at the Union Bank of India, instead of the counters in the civic office. The employees have been on a pen-down strike since August 4 to protest the decision.
“As there has been no end to the municipality impasse, we have decided not to allow the chairperson of the board of administrators to attend his office from Tuesday,” said Allen Chhetri, the president of the Darjeeling Municipality Employees’ Union.
The union had alleged that the SDO had taken the decision without consulting the employees. It also said 16 employees entrusted with the task of collecting the tax would be rendered jobless under the new system.
The employees also said the tax details did not match always and people had to shuttle between the bank and the municipality office.
Das said the union had not sent him any letter regarding the decision to stop him from entering office.
“We have requested the union leaders to lift the strike so that the matter can be settled at the negotiation table. I am confident that the issue would be solved early and that the union will not resort to such an agitation,” said the SDO
TT
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