Collector Rate Hike to Overburden

Hoshiarpur/Daljeet Ajnoha/Nov.18 : Former cabinet minister and senior BJP leader Tikshan Sood has strongly opposed the Punjab government’s decision to raise collector rates in Hoshiarpur by over 25 percent, terming it an anti-people move that will intensify inflation and weaken property trade.Sood said that earlier, collector rates were revised every two to three years based on real market conditions, but the AAP government has begun increasing them once or twice a year at will. He added that the state had already hiked property tax, sewerage charges, and water tariffs, further burdening citizens.Accusing the government of depleting the treasury through unnecessary expenditures and political promotions, Sood claimed that raising collector rates was a desperate attempt to refill empty coffers. He also questioned local legislators, MPs, and the mayor for not opposing the hike and demanded its immediate rollback.