E-Paper
Ludhiana MC to start sealing drive against property tax defaulters from March 11
The fund-starved Ludhiana MC has a target to recover ₹110 crore in property tax for the current financial year and is will start the sealing drive against the property tax defaulters after election results
Soon after the election results are announced in the state on March 10, the fund-starved municipal corporation (MC) is expected to commence a sealing drive against the property tax defaulters in the city from March 11.
MC teams have been active on the ground for the last two days, issuing warnings to shopkeepers/SCO owners in Gol market, Model Town, Tuition market, Dugri phase 1 and 2, Feroze Gandhi market among other areas. The teams have also recovered around ₹33 lakh from defaulters in the last two days.
Speaking of the drive, MC superintendent (property tax) Vivek Verma said, “MC staff is also busy with election duty as counting has to be held on March 10. From March 11 onwards, the MC will commence a sealing drive in the city. At present, warnings are being issued to the defaulters. Three teams of MC visited separate areas under Zone D of MC on Tuesday too.”
Official data shows that over 1.26 lakh property owners are yet to pay the property tax since 2013-14. The MC has a target to recover ₹110 crore in property tax for the current financial year (2021-22).
Till now, around ₹81 crore has been recovered and mayor Balkar Sandhu has directed the MC officials to expedite the recovery drive. The civic body is now tightening the noose around big defaulters with huge amounts in arrears.
Owners caught evading tax
Verma said many owners in Dugri and Model Town were caught evading tax by filing the property tax return under the wrong head. In Dugri, for instance, owners are filing tax for residential units, even as they have established shops at the ground floor of their house. Shop owners were also caught evading tax in Gol market, Model Town. They will now have to pay a 100% penalty on the amount of tax evaded.
Resistance in Dugri Urban Estate Phase 2
The MC teams faced resistance while issuing a warning to a house owner in Dugri Phase 2 area.
As per the MC officials, when the superintendent Harvinder Bindra-led team reached the spot, he misbehaved with the officials. The MC police team reached the spot and a notice for submitting ₹4 lakh as tax (including penalty), has been served to the owner.
