PROPERTY TAX REFORMS
    The Ministry of Urban Development has asked the States and Union Territories to inform it about the action initiated by them for rationalisation of the property tax structure in the light of the Central guidelines on Property Tax Reforms already circulated to them for taking necessary action.

    The needed reforms in property tax system in the country intend to minimise the discretion on the part of assessors in tax levy, delink the property tax from Rent Control Act provisions and make the process of assessment levy and collection transparent and simple.

    The other objectives of the guidelines provide for equity between classes of tax payers and property owners, facilitate self-assessment of property tax by property owners and occupiers and low rate of property tax to make it acceptable to the people at large.

    The guidelines also provide for a broad uniformity in property-tax structure to avoid malpractices and make it easier for property owners to pay property taxes faithfully.
 
 

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RAILWAYS SET UP COMMITTEE ON ADMINISTRATIVE LAWS
    Ministry of Railways(Railway Board) have decided to set up a Committee to monitor the implementation of the follow up action on the report of the Commission on review on Administrative Laws.

    The Committee will be chaired by Shri J.K. Thapar, OSD(Traffic) in the Railway Board while Shri N.P. Singh, Executive Director, Efficiency and Research in Railway Board will be the Member Secretary. Besides this, there will be seven more Members in the Committee.

    The terms of reference of the Committee will be as follows : Repeal of Dysfunctional and irrelevant laws, Documentation of all Laws/Subordinate Legislation/Executive Orders/Instructions/Circulars so as to make them available to public through various sources, simplification of Rules and Regulation Orders and their consolidation.

    The Committee is required to submit its report by July 1999.