Taxation

Seizure notices yield Rs 1.33 cr property tax dues

Thursday, 23 July 2009 05:46 administrator

Times of India 23.07.2009

Seizure notices yield Rs 1.33 cr property tax dues

PUNE: Property tax defaulters in the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) areas coughed up Rs 1.33 crore after the corporation's property tax department sent seizure notices to 109 defaulters.

Speaking to TOI, Shahaji Pawar, assistant commissioner, PCMC said that the 109 property tax defaulters owed Rs 2.16 crore as dues.

"The property tax department has intensified its drive to recover the dues from defaulters. Seizure notices are being issued to defaulters who owed large sums. Each divisional office was given the target to send 15 seizure notices to recover the dues. The defaulters have partly paid their dues after receiving the notices. If they do not clear their dues, their properties will be auctioned to recover the balance."

He said that property tax bills are being sent to the property holders for 2009-10. The department has collected Rs 10.36 crore as property tax till now, while it had collected Rs 6.56 crore till end of June in 2008-09.

The property tax department has announced a special scheme of Free Singapore trip' to 15 property tax-payers who have cleared their property tax dues and also paid the tax for the current year. as per the scheme, two members of the taxpayer's family or his two nominees will get a free trip to Singapore.

Pawar said, "Property tax bills for 2009-10 are being sent to the taxpayers. There are a total of 2.71 lakh properties in the municipal limits and we have still to distribute around 60,000 bills. Property taxpayers have to pay their pending dues if any and this year's tax before August 30 to be eligible for the Singapore trip."

He added that a list of such eligible taxpayers will be compiled after August 31. "We will select 15 property holders through a lottery system for the Singapore trip," he stated.

The property tax department has collected a record tax revenue of Rs 88.88 crore in 2008-09. Pawar said, "The department hopes to collect property tax of around Rs 30 crore till the end of August this year. We will start a drive to create awareness among the people to pay tax on time. The department will use loudspeakers mounted on vehicles to make an appeal to the people to pay tax on time and be eligible for the Singapore trip."

Panchkula MC to propose house tax abolition

Tuesday, 21 July 2009 12:43 administrator

Times of India 21.07.2009

Panchkula MC to propose house tax abolition

PANCHKULA: Panchkula municipal council is to send a proposal for abolition of house tax in the town to the state government. A resolution in this regard was passed by the house in its meeting held here on Monday. The meeting was presided over by acting president BB Singhal.

In its first meeting attended by 31 councillors following president Ravinder Rawal’s removed by MC tribunal, the house also passed the resolution for substantial increase in honorarium of the councillor.

While house tax on self-occupied properties was abolished by the state last year, MC wanted to abolish it completely in the town on the lines of the adjoining city of Chandigarh.

Singhal said the resolution introduced by BJP councillors was passed and it is now at the state’s discretion to approve it. It would, however, not be an easy task for state government, as it would need an amendment in the MC Act. Alternative sources of income would be an issue.

Increase in the financial powers of the council has also to be sought, Singhal said. The municipal councils were empowered to spend Rs 3 lakh 20 years ago. Now, with the passage of time, requirements have increased manifold, hence the limit needs to be increased, Singhal said while introducing the agenda.

Last Updated on Tuesday, 21 July 2009 12:46

PCMC may appoint armed guards at municipal properties

Monday, 20 July 2009 11:23 administrator

Times of India 20.07.2009

PCMC may appoint armed guards at municipal properties

PUNE: The Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) is considering recruiting 41 armed guards in order to protect octroi posts, property tax offices and other municipal properties.

Speaking to TOI on Saturday, Anilkumar Dalvi, security officer, PCMC said that the civic administration is considering the step and other measures to beef up security at the municipal offices and other properties.

"We have nine armed guards as security guards. Three of them are deployed at the water purification plants in Nigdi during the night shift, one each is deployed at the vehicle repair workshop in Pimpri and the PCMC main building and three are deployed at octroi posts," said Dalvi.

He added that the new armed guards will be mostly deployed to secure the cash at 21 octroi posts and 15 property tax

offices of PCMC. We plan to fill 34 vacant posts of security inspectors who will supervise the security arrangements at various civic properties."

Speaking about the measures to be taken to beef up security at the PCMC main office building, Dalvi said, "An iron staircase installed for pedestrians to enter the main building premises from the highway has been removed as thieves use it to enter the premises to steal the batteries of vehicles parked there. A security guard has been deployed behind Annasaheb Magar statue to check trespassing over the compound wall along the Mumbai-Pune highway. Two security guards each have been deployed near both the gates and the back portion near the common boundary with PMT Tools."

He added that the civic administration was monitoring the movement of visitors in the main office building round the clock. The number of security guards has been increased at the entrance to the main building. Visitors are asked to note down their names, address and other details in the register.

Dalvi said, "We have 343 security guards on the PCMC staff and another 315 hired from contractors. There are 654 civic properties which include water works, playgrounds, schools and other buildings which need to be secure."

Earlier, the PCMC had taken several steps to increase security at its various offices and the main administrative building. Metal and letter bomb detectors, close circuit television (CCTV) cameras and other measures were taken at the main administrative building in Pimpri. But security lapses still occur. A vehicle was stolen from the PCMC main office premises on January 28. Thefts have also occurred at the divisional property tax offices at Charholi in January and at Bhosari in March.

Thefts have been reported at the property tax offices in Bhosari and Charholi. An armed robbery took place at the octroi post in Moshi where a civic employee was injured in May this year.

Paying house tax through your bank

Monday, 20 July 2009 09:58 administrator

Times of India 20.07.2009

Paying house tax through your bank

LUCKNOW: Lucknow Municipal Corporation (LMC) is frantically searching for its untapped sources of house tax, one of the most important sources of revenue for the fund starved municipal body.

A series of steps have already been initiated with an aim to recover the tax which residents often shirk from paying following the lack of civic amenities. "There are others who are simply evading the tax because of apathy or because of the hassles people face while depositing the house tax in any of the zonal office,'' said a senior municipal official.

Now, you might not have to slog anymore if the LMC's plans are anything to go by. To begin with, in a bid to make the process hassle-free, the LMC is all set to enter into an agreement with two nationalised banks through which one can deposit the house tax while sitting in house or office.

According to municipal commissioner, Shailesh Kumar Singh, they would soon enter into an agreement with the two banks -- State Bank of India (SBI) and Union Bank. All that one would need is to have an account in one of the two banks and the internet account activated.

The LMC has already entered into an agreement with the private sector Bank HDFC and the collection has started. "About Rs 25,000 has already been collected,'' said a senior LMC official associated with the house tax collection.

Officials said that they would also involve some private service providers for collection of the crucial tax which one pays in lieu of civic amenities which the municipal body provides.

This is not all. Singh said that they are in the process of changing the existing software which only allows deposition of the house tax in the zonal office only. But with the new software in the making, one would be able to deposit the house tax in any of the zonal office. "It would be transferred to the respective zonal office within 15 days,'' said the municipal commissioner. Municipal officials said that the counter would be established in the existing zonal offices only.

l Have an account in the associated bank

l Get your internet bank account enabled

l Get yourself registered on the LMC's web site -- www.lmc.up.nic.in -- for a user name and password

l Enter one's house ID

l The website gives you the option of the bank

l Complete the transaction and download the receipt

Protest against high water tax gains momentum

Saturday, 18 July 2009 09:39 administrator

Times of India 18.07.2009

Protest against high water tax gains momentum

ALLAHABAD: The corporators along with people in general put lock up of the numerous offices of Jal Sansthan while protesting against the deposition of the water tax bills at high rates on Friday. The lock up was put at the zone 1-A office situated at Jawaharlal Nehru Road, office of zone 2 at Gaughat and also at the office at Daraganj locality.

The people are protesting the hike in water tax and saying that that unless the new slab rates are approved by the government, they should not be forced to deposit the water tax at high rates.

In this connection, locals and corporators reached the Daraganj office of Jal Sansthan in the day. Shiva Tripathi, corporator present at the office said, "We would continue the struggle until the high rates of water tax are withdrawn." He further added that taking the hard earned money by the Jal Sansthan officials was unpardonable.

Kusum Lata, another corporator said it seemed that the imposition of the high water tax reminded of the Jaziya of the mediaeval period.

Anamika Chowdhry, corporator and former deputy mayor said, Jal Sansthan had taken an anti-public measure by issuing inflated bills, which had not even approved by the government. She also appealed to the people not to deposit the water tax.

Addressing the people, Umesh Dwivedi, corporator said that though it had been decided in the meeting of June 1 that unless the government approved the new slab rates, the bills of water tax would be issued on the old slab rates yet the Jal Sansthan had been consistently issuing the bills based on the new slab rates without adhering to the norms. Anand Ghidiyal, corporator from Colonelganj also exhorted the people not to deposit the inflated water tax bills so that their interest could be preserved.

The office of Jal sansthan of Zone 2 at Gaughat was locked under the leadership of Satyendra Chopra, chairman of the ward committee of 4. People along with the leader reached the office and forced the lock up of the office. They raised slogans against the JS officials on hike in water tax. A memorandum was also handed over to the manager of zone 2. The manager assured the protestors that unless the government approved the new slab rates and mayor returned to the city, bills of water tax would not be distributed among the people.

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