195 defaulters owe Panipat MC ₹151 crore as property tax, reveals RTI query

With several government institutions defaulting on property tax payments for the past several years, officials of the Panipat municipal corporation (MC) are facing a tough time trying to recover the dues. As per the information sought in a query under the Right to Information (RTI) Act, Indian Railways, Punjab National Bank, L&T toll plaza, post office, BSNL, tehsil office, government schools, NFL, Haryana PWD, UHBVN, sugar mill, Haryana Roadways and advocates’ chambers and private shopping malls are on the list of top property tax defaulters.

With several government institutions defaulting on property tax payments for the past several years, officials of the Panipat municipal corporation (MC) are facing a tough time trying to recover the dues.

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As per the information sought in a query under the Right to Information (RTI) Act, Indian Railways, Punjab National Bank, L&T toll plaza, post office, BSNL, tehsil office, government schools, NFL, Haryana PWD, UHBVN, sugar mill, Haryana Roadways and advocates’ chambers and private shopping malls are on the list of top property tax defaulters. The figures revealed that ₹151 crore was due with over 195 defaulters having pending amount over ₹5 lakh.

Panipat-based RTI activist Viabhav Deswal, an advocate, said several private and government institutions did not pay their property tax for the past several years. The figures revealed that the two shopping malls of Panipat have to pay ₹34 crore, National Fertilizers Limited ₹11.20 crore, advocates’ chambers ₹4.75 crore and Haryana government ₹2.81 crore. Even Panipat toll plaza owes ₹98 lakh to the MC, the response revealed.

Panipat mayor Avneet Kaur said they had identified several defaulters who owe ₹5 lakh or more as property tax and notices will be served on them as she has already written to the MC commissioner.

She said this money will be used for the development of the city as several areas need basic facilities.