Record Rs 116-crore property tax collected, Rs 24 cr still pending

Tribune News Service

Nitin Jain

Ludhiana, March 28

Even as the Municipal Corporation (MC) has created a record of sorts by collecting the highest-ever property tax amounting to over Rs 116 crore this fiscal year so far, the arrears of almost Rs 24 crore were yet to be paid, officials have confirmed.

Over 2.3 lakh properties in mc jurisdiction

There are over 2.3 lakh properties in the municipal limits, the owners of which are supposed to pay property tax. The MC has been sending reminders to the owners of left-out 70,000-odd properties through public notices and personal messages on their registered mobile numbers to pay the levy before March 31.

Of the total 2.3 lakh taxable properties, including residential and commercial, almost 70,000 property owners, which accounted for around one-third (precisely 30.43 per cent) of the total assessees, have not yet paid the levy, the MC has said.

With the last three days left for the current financial year to end, the civic body has again appealed to remaining property owners to come forward and pay the tax to avoid penalty and interest, besides attachment of the properties belonging to the defaulters.

MC Commissioner Shena Aggarwal told The Tribune here on Tuesday that the property tax collections have touched a record high this fiscal and crossed the Rs 116-crore mark for the first time in Ludhiana.

She said the MC had recorded highest receipts during the current fiscal since the imposition of the levy in 2013.

Besides, the revenue collections from all other levies such as water charges, tehabazaari fee, rent, licence fee, advertisement tax, composition fee, building plan fee, development and change of land use (CLU) have also touched a new high this financial year.

Dr Aggarwal said the civic body had collected a sum of Rs 227.58 from different heads during the current fiscal till date, which was Rs 54.9 crore, accounting for 31.79 per cent more than Rs 172.68 crore collections made during the last financial year 2021-22.

Divulging the head-wise figures, she said a sum of Rs 116 crore had been collected from property tax, Rs 44.24 crore from water charges, Rs 52.67 crore from the building branch, including composition fee, building fee, development and CLU charges, Rs 9.03 crore from advertisement tax, Rs 4.81 crore from tehabazaari fee and rent, and Rs 83 lakh from licence fee.

Even as three days were still left for the current financial year to close, during which the civic body expects to cross the collections above Rs 125-crore mark, the collections from property tax this time were highest in the past decade ever since the levy was imposed in Ludhiana, spread over 169 sq-km area with a population of 16.18 lakh as per the 2011 Census.

According to year-wise property tax receipts, a sum of Rs 92.84 crore was collected in 2021-22, Rs 96.68 crore in 2020-21, Rs 84.25 crore in 2019-20, Rs 78.24 crore in 2018-19, Rs 70.4 crore in 2017-18, Rs 66.05 crore in 2016-17, Rs 69.44 crore in 2015-16, Rs 52.94 crore in 2014-15 and Rs 74.79 crore had been collected from property tax head during the financial year 2013-14.

March 31 last date

March 31 is the last date to deposit property tax for the current fiscal 2022-23, after which an additional 20 per cent penalty and interest at the rate of 18 per cent per annum will be imposed on delayed payments.

Collection centres open

To facilitate left-out residents, the civic body has kept collection centres open all days till March 31, even during weekends and gazetted holidays. Besides MC offices, Suvidha Kendras at all four zonal offices were also kept open during all days till March 31. Those desiring to pay online, can make transactions through the MC’s official website — mcludhiana.gov.in.

Defaulters to be dealt with sternly: MC chief

“Property owners who have not yet deposited property tax or other levies should do it forthwith and not later than March 31 to avoid penalty and interest. Habitual defaulters will be dealt with sternly and besides imposing the penalty and interest, proceedings to attach properties would also be initiated. Funds collected through all such levies are utilised for the development of the city and providing basic civic amenities to residents,” said MC Commissioner Shena Aggarwal.