Ramkrishna Upadhyay
Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, June 16
From schools, temples and bhawans to dharmshalas, there are around 61 institutions on which the Municipal Corporation has served notices for not paying the property tax.
Sources said these institutions had not paid the total amount of around 4 crore for years. While the MC has started compiling lists of the defaulters, it has identified around 61 institutions in the first phase.
Some get final notices
Sources said a majority of the institutions had been served notices for the first time but there were some to whom the civic body has served the final notice.
An officer of the MC said the defaulters fail to pay the amount even after getting final notices. Then, the MC would attach their properties.
The officials have started tightening the noose around the defaulters on the directions of Mayor Davesh Moudgil who directed them to recover the arrears from all institutions.
As per Section 138 of the Municipal Act, the Commissioner is authorised to attach, sale or seal the property of the tax defaulter. The property can be attached after serving the final notices to the habitual defaulters. The MC recovered around Rs 24 crore after it had taken stern action against the defaulters in the past one year.
The figures