The Cabinet has decided to amend the 50-year-old Kerala Building Tax Act, 1973. It found that thousands of buildings, both domicile and commercial, remained outside the tax net due to flawed assessments of levies.
So far, the square feet area of the building determined the one-time tax. The new law seeks to change it, given the colossal building tax revenue loss incurred annually by the government. The amendment is to expedite tax collection and render the process transparent.
The Cabinet also decided to expand the powers of Judicial First Class Magistrates to fine those who evade building tax. The law proposes that the magistrate can fine a defaulter up to ₹1 lakh as a penalty instead of the earlier ₹10,000.
The Cabinet also approved the Advocate General’s proposal to amend Section 29 of the Criminal Procedure Code, 1973. The ten-fold increase in traffic fines, given the enactment of the Motor Vehicle Laws (Amendment Act), 2019, necessitated the CrPC amendment.
The CrPC only allowed magistrates to fine a maximum of ₹10,000 for traffic offences. The CrPC amendment will remove that ceiling and vest them with the authority to slap higher fines.
Compassionate employment
The Cabinet decided to verify whether those who gained government jobs through the State’s compassionate employment of the dependents of government servants who die in harness meet their sworn commitment to provide for other survivors of the deceased official.
The government will deduct 25% of the annual salary of the employees who fail to provide for other fellow dependents in the family who are eligible for dying in harness protection.
The Cabinet tasked appointing authorities to monitor the situation and take necessary action. Dependents who fail to get assistance from the employee can inform the appointment authorities for redressal. The compassionate employment scheme envisages the provision of food, medical expenses, living quarters, property and maintenance.
Appointing authorities who receive complaints from dependents should ask the tahsildar concerned to investigate the petition and report to the government immediately. The government will remit 25% of the salary impounded from erring employees in the bank account of the dependents.
Thus penalised employees can appeal their case to the District Collector within three months of the penalty. The compassionate employment scheme does not cover dependents who draw a family pension.
Kerala Formation Day
The government resolved to celebrate Kerala Formation Day from November 1 to November 7.
The Cabinet gave administrative sanctions to appoint an international property consultant to lease government IT park space. It decided to rehabilitate six families whose properties will be acquired for the third phase development of Technopark.
