Faridabad MC punishes 14 defaulters, seals property

Bijendra Ahlawat

Tribune News Service

Faridabad, January 30

The municipal corporation (MC) has stepped up its drive against property tax defaulters. A total of 87 properties, be it residential, commercial or industrial, have been sealed by the MC this month.

It is perhaps for the first time that such an action has been taken against a large number of property tax defaulters. Defaulters owe the civic body over Rs 100 crore. An MC spokesman said 14 properties were sealed yesterday as part of the ongoing drive. The properties, mostly commercial and industrial in Old Faridabad zone, owed Rs 84 lakh.

He said the MC had been able to take such action against a total of 87 defaulters in the past 30 days. The tax pending from these defaulters was a little over Rs 2.51 crore. A total of seven industrial and commercial units located in the NIT area had failed to pay tax amounting to Rs 79.52 lakh.

The defaulters had not paid their taxes for a period ranging from six to 15 years. Four units owing Rs 6.34 lakh, which agreed to pay the defaulting amount on the spot, were spared.

With property tax worth over Rs 100 crore pending, the authorities had started carrying out the plan to recover the dues.

Sonal Goel, MC Commissioner, asserted that sealing of property was not taken all of a sudden, but a set legal procedure was followed.

She said notices had been issued to the defaulters after they failed to pay their taxes by the due date of July 31. She said it was required to be paid after a self-assessment process.

She said the notices were served after a certain period and the sealing action taken after the defaulters failed to pay the tax arrears in the given time period.

The MC had been able to recover around Rs 55.05 crore during the current financial year, she said. The total tax recovery done during this period was Rs 90 crore, she added.