Industries call for township act implementation

MUMBAI: Industries in Maharashtra have appealed to the government to bring in force its much publicised Industrial Township Act to avoid double taxation.

At a conference organised by the Chamber of Small Industry Associations a number of industrial groups pointed out hardships being faced by them due to the delay in implementation of the Industrial Township Act.

In the present system, industries need to pay taxes and other charges to local government wherein they operate, even as the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC) charges them service tax separately. Since the MIDC provides the infrastructure it’s allowed to collect certain charges.

The industrialists pointed out that in the absence of any clarity, they are left to the vagaries of local municipal bodies and are drawn into controversies. They urged the state government to implement its long-promised legislation to protect industrial zones.

The state’s industrial development commissioner Malini Shankar, while addressing the meet, stressed upon the need for capacity building so as to address the problems.