Mysore/Mysuru: With no revenue earnings due to outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent nationwide lockdown, Kalyan Mantap owners of the city have appealed the MCC  to waive off taxes this year.

In a memorandum submitted to Mayor Tasneem and MCC Commissioner Gurudatta  Hegde, the Mysuru Kalyan Mantap Owners Association members said that with no marriages and any other functions or ceremonies taking place, there is no revenue earnings for them and as such they have run into deep financial crisis. 

Noting that with the authorities limiting the number of guests for functions to a minimum, the business for Marriage Halls is very much unlikely to look up at least until March 2021. They pointed out that despite no business, they have to pay up water and power bills, tax, trade licence, Income Tax etc. Also, they have to pay salaries for employees, they maintained and appealed the MCC to waive off tax at least for this year.

Continuing, they said that adding to their woes, the MCC has declared Kalyan Mantaps as commercial buildings which is unfair, particularly at a time when the Kalyan Mantaps are facing a huge financial crisis due to the deadly pandemic. Urging the MCC to drop this classification, they appealed for imposing only general tax. 

Mysuru Hotel Owners Association too appealed MCC not to penalise Hotel, Restaurant, Lodge, Bakery, Sweet Shop  owners who have been running business without trade licence nor renewing them, as they are suffering from huge losses due to poor business and rising overhead costs. The Association members  also appealed to drop 2019-20 trade licence renewal and not to levy interest or penalty for default in the wake of COVID-19 crisis.

Mysuru Kalyana Mantap Owners Association President K.R. Sathyanarayan and Secretary Venkatesh, Mysuru Hotel Owners Association President C. Narayanagowda and Treasurer Bhaskar Shetty were in the delegation  to meet the Mayor.