Facing fund crunch, Solan MC steps up efforts to realise dues

The Solan Municipal Corporation (MC), which is facing a resource crunch, has stepped up efforts to realise pending dues from local residents. While it has Rs 1.5 crore pending on account of water charges, it is yet to recover Rs 50 lakh by way of garbage collection charges. As new property rates have come into effect, the staff is hopeful of collecting Rs 6.5 crore more from 17 wards.

“Dues to the tune of Rs 4 crore have been recovered ever since tax collection began in August in 14 municipal wards. Bills for the remaining three wards will be generated this month,” says Ekta Kapta, Commissioner, Solan MC.

To encourage residents to pay their bills within 15 days, a 10 per cent discount is offered to them. Besides, they are given a relaxation of depositing the tax in two installments. They have also been granted a three-month window to submit the two installments after the issuance of the bill.

As per the new rates, property tax to the tune of Rs 6.5 crore has been assessed in 17 wards after an exhaustive 10-month survey. The exercise done by the Aryabhatta Geo-informatics and Space Application Centre had begun in September 2023 and was completed earlier this year.

There are around 12,000 households in 17 wards of the civic body from where garbage is collected on alternate days. As many as 161 employees collect and transport waste in 12 vehicles in three trips to the waste processing facility at Salogra village.

Arrears to the tune of over Rs 50 lakh are yet to be realised from the residents on account of garbage disposal charges. While Rs 6 crore is spent on garbage collection, transportation and processing every year, mere Rs 1 crore as charges are collected. A section of the councillors has been stressing the need to enhance these charges but the move could not materialise in the absence of a consensus.

The work on parking slots and civic infrastructure is also pending in the city, and hence there is dire need to generate funds and realise dues, added Kapta.

Discount scheme to lure residents

• While Rs 1.5 crore is pending on account of water charges, Rs 50 lakh is pending by way of garbage collection charges
• The civic body is hopeful of collecting Rs 6.5 crore more as property tax from 17 wards
• To encourage local residents to pay their bills within 15 days, a 10 per cent discount is offered to them
• The residents have been allowed to deposit tax in two installments
• A three-month window has been granted to them to submit the two installments after the issuance of bills