Property tax: Civic body asks firm to speed up survey of units

Tribune News Service

Patiala, April 18

The Municipal Corporation (MC), Patiala, on Wednesday directed the private company, carrying out a survey to prepare a database of property tax units, to complete the work as soon as possible. A meeting with officials of Mumbai-based Cyber Tech Systems and Software Limited was held under the chairmanship of Municipal Commissioner Gurpreet Singh Khaira. The project, started a couple of years ago, is yet to see the light of day.

 MC property tax superintendent Loveneesh Goyal said, “The company has completed 75 per cent of the survey. Today, they were directed to complete the project as soon as possible.”

 The MC is supposed to use the data to keep a track of all properties that are required to pay property tax. The collection of the tax will also be managed through it and a list of defaulters will be available at all times.

Municipal Commissioner Gurpreet Singh Khaira said, “Over 1 lakh properties have been identified through the survey. We held a meeting to review the functioning of the company today. They are expected to complete the work in three months.”

He said after the completion of the survey, the MC would have a list of defaulters. “We will have all details regarding properties with their photographs,” he added.  Notably, the MC has fallen short of the revenue collection target time and again. Last year, the MC had offered a rebate on pending arrears. According to property tax superintendent Loveneesh Goyal, the total collection in 2017-18 was over Rs 15 crore.

In 2016-2017, about 22,000 people had paid house tax. The MC had earned only Rs 9 crore from it.  

Will help keep track of defaulters 

The MC is supposed to use the data to keep a track of all properties that are required to pay property tax. The collection of the tax will also be managed through it and a list of defaulters will be available at all times.

Notably, the MC has fallen short of the revenue collection target time and again. Last year, the MC had offered a rebate on pending arrears. According to property tax superintendent Loveneesh Goyal, the total collection in 2017-18 was over Rs 15 crore.