Faridabad MC steps up property tax recovery drive, puts 8,000 on notice

Bijendra Ahlawat

Tribune News Service

Faridabad, March 11

The civic authorities have served notices on around 8,000 defaulters as part of the drive to step up the recovery of the pending property tax in the city. The recovery process had been delayed due to elections in the past one year.

With a decline of 20 to 25 per cent in the collection, the authorities have stepped up the drive as the current financial period is set to end soon, reveal the sources in the Municipal Corporation of Faridabad (MCF). Though a large number of notices have been served on those having dues of Rs 50,000 or more, the authorities have resorted to this modus operandi as it is faced with the meeting the challenge of achieving the overall budget target of Rs 140 crore, says an official.

Sources reveal that the dues collected so far have been around Rs 48.5 crore this year, this have been much lower against the collections achieved in the recent past. “The notices have been served as part of the routine action plan to enhance the collection by the end of the current financial year and this may result in sealing of many properties,” said an official.

The tax dues collected so far could be lower by 12 to 15 crore against the target achieved in the past.

While the civic body was expected to have collected Rs 60 to 65 crore by this time, it was well below the target, mainly due to the hurdles connected with engagement of the department in the election process, said an employee.

While a huge amount of the due pending since 2011-12 had been a matter of concern, the civic body had been unable to focus on recovery mainly due to assignments connected with the election process connected with the Lok Sabha, state Assembly and the civic body polls, he said.

The drive launched in January this year got halted soon due to the elections. The total dues are reported to be around Rs 300 crore. Property tax has been a major income source of the civic body.

The authorities had recently decided to intensify the drive, said a spokesperson of the department, who added that the certification and removal of the anomalies in the online system had been on.

Legal disputes, ownership change, unused or closed properties and government buildings have been claimed to be among the factors for surge in dues. Only one fourth of the total 7.07 lakh units have been either eligible or paying tax.

MCF official Vikas Kanhiya said notices and sealing action might be taken for the recovery of the pending dues in the city.