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Unpaid property tax: Chandigarh MC shoots off notices to 800 govt buildings
Chandigarh MC will to disconnect water and power connections and even seal the properties of defaulters if tax is not cleared within 2-week deadline
With their property tax dues piling up to ₹14 crore in the past one decade, the municipal corporation has issued tax default notices to around 800 government buildings in Chandigarh.
Of the total dues, ₹9.30 crore are owed by the Capital Project Division of the UT administration that has around 700 government buildings under its purview, among them police stations, government schools, anganwadi centres and tubewells.
Confirming this, municipal corporation commissioner Anindita Mitra said the notices had been issued under Section 138 (manner of recovering tax) of the Punjab Municipal Corporation Act, which authorised the commissioner to attach, sell or seal the property of tax defaulters, adding that each notice had a two-week deadline.
She said government buildings were also liable to pay service charges at 75% of the property tax as per the provisions of the tax bylaws framed under the Punjab Municipal Corporation Act, as extended to Chandigarh.
On the other hand, UT chief engineer CB Ojha said while the tax on some buildings had been paid, reconciliation proceedings were underway for others: “Once the amount is correctly reconciled, we will clear the remaining dues,” he said.
The civic body levied property tax on commercial land and buildings with effect from November 22, 2004. There are around 23,000 commercial units, including government buildings, falling within the MC limits. The property tax on residential land and buildings, also known as house tax, was imposed from 2015-16 onwards, except for properties having covered area less than 500 square feet.
Domestic defaulters under lens too
According to MC figures, apart from around 11,000 commercial defaulters, there were 12,000 domestic defaulters as well, owing over ₹5 crore in property tax.
To recover the tax, MC has already issued 2,500 notices to residential property owners who owe tax.
Mitra said, “All tax defaulters have been given enough time to clear the dues. Necessary action against will be taken if they do not pay up by next week.”
Appealing to property owners to clear the dues immediately, the commissioner said penalties will include disconnection of water and power connections, and the properties could even be sealed.
