Cutting across party lines, corporators on Wednesday opposed a 2 per cent fine for delay in payment of property tax. At a standing committee meeting, Chairman Yashwant Jadhav directed the BMC to immediately stop penalising the defaulters.

Jadhav asked the civic body to pause the fine collection until the matter is discussed at a meeting of group leaders, which will also be attended by municipal commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal. The BMC had started imposing a penalty of 2 per cent per month during this financial year. The corporators had opposed the decision last week as well. Opposition leader Ravi Raja said, “The BMC is helping the rich people, and does not think about the poor. It should stop taking action against properties on the humanitarian ground.”