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GMADA owes Mohali civic body ₹5-crore property tax
Mohali municipal commissioner Kamal Kumar Garg has shot off a letter to the chief administrator of Greater Mohali Area Development Authority (GMADA), seeking the
Mohali municipal commissioner Kamal Kumar Garg has shot off a letter to the chief administrator of Greater Mohali Area Development Authority (GMADA), seeking the payment of ₹5.13 crore that it owes to the civic body for property tax at the earliest.
GMADA has not paid the tax ever since it was introduced in 2014-15. The development authority has to pay for its godown in Phase 11, Dussehra Ground, old bus stand and Tibetan market space in Phase 8, old deputy commissioner office, hockey stadium in Phase 9, all sports complexes, places of liquor vends, and various booths in different phases and sectors.
Municipal chief Garg said, “We have written a letter to the head of GMADA and asked them to pay the property tax. Hopefully, the matter will soon be sorted out.”
A senior GMADA official said that they have sought from the municipal corporation details of the properties, along with the amount. “We will soon clear the dues,” he added.
Major defaulters
The district administrative complex in Sector 76 is currently defaulting on property tax to the tune of ₹15 lakh pending for the past two years. Mohali police also owe ₹1 crore to the civic body since 2014-15. Their properties include several police stations, cybercrime office, women cell and other buildings. Even the excise and taxation department hasn’t paid its ₹5-lakh property tax.
As per the record, Mohali has 52,678 properties — 41,082 residential, 4,929 commercial, 1,683 industrial and 4,984 vacant plots — of which 24,406 are taxable.
Three industrial units sealed
The MC on Monday sealed three industrial units in Mohali’s Phase-7 industrial area after their owners failed to pay pending house/property tax. Officials said they owed ₹8 lakh as tax to the MC.
The sealed units are plot number D-92, D-99 and C-148. These units were non-functional.
MC inspector Avtar Singh Kalsia said, “The drive was launched following the directions of the municipal commissioner. We sealed the sites as their owners failed to deposit the tax despite notices and reminders.”
The civic body had issued notices to tax defaulters under sections 137 and 138 of the Punjab Municipal Corporation Act and given them a 10-day window to clear the dues.
The civic body is now in the process of identifying property tax defaulters to whom notices will be sent and strict action will follow in case of default.
