Panchkula, Oct. 7 -- In a Diwali gift, the Panchkula municipal corporation (MC) has cleared multiple benefits for residents, most importantly a 50% rebate in interest for all commercial and residential units against which property tax is pending. In the General House meeting held on Monday, the House also slashed the booking rates for community centres, depending on the size of the centre. The booking charge for community centres having an area more than an acre has been reduced from Rs.21,000 to Rs.11,000. The rate for centres having an area less than one acre, the rate has been reduced from Rs.11,000 to Rs.5,000. Furthermore, for MC employees and those hosting religious events, a 50% rebate has been approved on the booking amount. Besides this, garbage tax has been exempted for the financial year 2025-26, continuing the waiver previously in effect for 2023-24 and 2024-25. Additionally, property tax has been fully exempted for all dharmashalas/bhawans (religious institutions) and temples for the financial year 2025-26. In an effort to improve public services, the MC has announced the launch of new bus services. Five air-conditioned (AC) buses will be put into service to transport school and college students from morning to evening. In a move to support religious tourism, AC buses will be procured to facilitate pilgrimage to Mansa Devi, Chandi Mata temple, Kalka Mata temple, Nada Sahib, and Trilokpur temple, etc. Several miscellaneous development agendas were also passed. These include levying a fee of Rs.2 per square metre on park committees, and approving the construction of a rest house and a bhawan at the Mansa Devi temple. Other key projects include the construction of a banquet hall alongside the existing community centre in Sector 9, and the finalisation of a development plan for vacant land in the villages of Kot and Billa. MC commissioner RK Singh said the slashing of booking rates of community centres will not affect the MC's finances as the rates are very nominal. Furthermore, the House decision on the exemption in garbage tax will now be sent to the state government for its approval. This tax does not contribute to the income of the MC. Meanwhile, SK Nayar, president of the Panchkula citizens' welfare association, said the MC has neither refunded nor adjusted the garbage collection charges that were waived by the Haryana government for the financial years 2023-24 and 2024-25. Some residents had paid hefty amounts. This garbage tax was included in their property tax bills. He personally met the commissioner and gave a memorandum to him recently. He said the earlier garbage tax was around Rs.300 per month for a 10 marla house, but this time, it was Rs.50 per month for the same category. However, there were different slabs for the garbage tax, he said....