Ludhiana MC staff told to speed up recovery of pending dues

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, February 19

Mayor Balkar Singh Sandhu and MC Commissioner Kanwalpreet Kaur Brar have given directions to the staff concerned to speed up recovery of pending property tax, water supply and sewerage charges. The water supply connections of defaulters would be disconnected if they failed to pay pending water supply and sewerage charges.

It has come to light that a number of commercial properties are reportedly getting water supply and sewerage bills based on the charges fixed for residential properties due to which the MC is facing losses. Around 70 cases of such commercial properties, including a cinema hall, banks, factories and some complexes, which are getting water and sewerage bills on the basis of residential properties, are located in the MC Zone C. However, there are chances that such cases can be found in other zones too.

Mayor Sandhu said: “We have given instructions to the staff concerned to take necessary action in this regard.”

MC Superintendent Vivek Verma said: “We will send notices to such commercial properties to pay bills. The staff have been asked to disconnect water supply and sewerage if defaulters do not pay pending dues.”

The staff have been asked to disconnect the water supply and sewerage connections on daily basis if the defaulters were not ready to pay pending charges. “The staff concerned has been asked to meet the target of Rs 100 crore of property tax for the current financial year. The MC has collected around Rs 75 crore property tax during the financial year,” said an official. “Notably, the Punjab Government Local Department has earlier issued a notification offering one-time settlement for the recovery of arrears of water and sewerage charges in the urban local bodies. No penalty or interest will be charged if the principle amount of water supply and sewer charges is deposited by May 11,” said an official.

Civic body is facing losses

It has come to light that a number of commercial properties are reportedly getting water supply and sewerage bills based on the charges fixed for residential properties due to which the MC is facing losses. Around 70 cases of such commercial properties, including a cinema hall, banks, factories and some complexes, which are getting water and sewerage bills on the basis of residential properties, are located in the MC Zone C. However, there are chances that such cases can be found in other zones too.

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