Abolish octroi once GST rolls out: Mumbai BJP

BJP's Mumbai unit today demanded abolition of octroi in the city once the Goods and Services Tax (GST) comes into force.

"Octroi is being levied in Mumbai for a long time and it should be abolished immediately once GST comes into force. We also want most of the transactions of Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM) to take place electronically to bring more transparency in its services and functioning," BJP said in a release following a meeting of its city unit.

MCGM is controlled by Shiv Sena, BJP's ally. The relations between the two parties are strained for quite some time, and BJP has often targeted Sena for 'lack of transparency' in MCGM's functioning. Octroi is among the most important sources of income of MCGM.

BJP also demanded fixed allocation of Rs 100 crore for the city transport service, BEST, in MCGM's annual budget. The civic body had come in for criticism recently for scrapping its AC bus service for lack of funds.