Mohali police owe Rs1 cr to civic body

Akash Ghai

Tribune News Service

Mohali, April 3

With the Mohali police evading the payment of property tax since its inception in 2013-14, they owe almost Rs 1 crore to the local civic authorities.

Apparently upset over indifference of the local police, the Municipal Corporation is now taking up the issue with the higher authorities.

Pointing out that it was a huge sum for the Municipal Corporation, Mohali Mayor Kulwant Singh said he was writing to senior officials in the Punjab Police as well as the Home Department for the payment of the outstanding dues.

“The taxes so collected are utilised for public welfare and huge arrears affect ongoing projects as well as future plans,” Kulwant said.

“It is ironic that a law enforcement agency itself has become a habitual offender,” he said.

A senior MC functionary said countless notices and reminders had been sent to senior police officials for paying the tax. Leave alone payment, they had not even bothered to reply to these notices.

The police are required to pay the tax for buildings accommodating five police stations, NRI wing, CID Office and State Cyber Cell and agency’s commando complex in Phase 11 here.

While the Mohali Police have been defaulting on paying tax for the past five years, MC sources said several government organisations had defaulted on paying property tax in 2018-19.

These include GMADA, which owes about Rs 50 lakh, Mohali Administrative Complex, which owes Rs 15 lakh and the Excise Department that owes Rs 3 lakh.

MC collects Rs31 crore as property tax in 2018-19

The Mohali Municipal Corporation has collected about Rs 31 crore in 2018-19 from property tax, which includes Rs 28 crore from industrial and commercial complexes and Rs 3 crore from residential property. MC officials said 20 per cent residents are yet to deposit taxes, for which notices would be issued soon.