Goof up? MC serves notice despite bill clearance

Amit Bathla

Tribune News Service

Panchkula, July 19

Residents of the district have alleged that there have been gross discrepancies in the Panchkula Municipal Corporation’s (MC) property tax database. Several residents, who had already paid property tax for the 2020-21 financial year, are still receiving demand notices.

They said the “goof up” by the MC was compelling them to visit its office in Sector 14 during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Naresh Narang, who owns a shop in Sector 19, was taken aback when he received a demand notice from the MC asking him to pay Rs5,104 despite the fact he had already cleared his dues of Rs3,646 for 2020-21 on May 19.

He then approached MC officials, who told him that he had already cleared his dues.

“If not MC, then who’s issuing us property bills. I smell something fishy here,” he said.

Narang is not alone. Mohan Lal Goel has a similar predicament. He paid the entire outstanding amount of Rs5,103 on July 2 after a demand notice was sent to him. Days later, Goel received a demand notice for the same amount shown as outstanding amount.

Seven representatives of residents welfare associations (RWAs) have raised their concern on the issue, but to no avail.

A regular affair

Rakesh Agarwal, Panchkula Vikas Manch, said, “This is a regular affair. Despite the MC engaging private companies for surveys and database update, people have been receiving wrong house tax bills for the past three years. The residents are being harassed this way.”

SK Nayar, president, Citizen Welfare Association, said, “The annual house tax calculated by a private company roped in by MC doesn’t have record of dues cleared by residents in the past. I had cleared my dues of Rs351 of a residential property on June 20. Despite that, I received a demand notice on July 17 asking to pay Rs355,” he said.

MC Commissioner Mahavir Singh and Executive Officer Jarnail Singh were not available for comment.