The Hindu         05.03.2014

Amnesty scheme for Howrah municipal tax payers

Similar to the scheme offered by the Kolkata Municipal Corporation

In a bid to mop up the Rs.550-crore tax arrears piled up at the Howrah Municipal Corporation, the Mamata Banerjee government has decided to introduce an amnesty scheme under which penalty and interest dues would be waived for the next six months.

“We have decided to waive the penalty and interest due for all municipal tax assesses in a waiver scheme for Howrah Municipal Corporation. This is similar to the scheme offered by the Kolkata Municipal Corporation,” Municipal Affairs Minister Firhad Hakim told reporters at the makeshift secretariat at Nabanna in Howrah.

The scheme took effect from Tuesday. The KMC scheme offered 90 per cent waiver that helped to mop up around Rs.400 crore, Mr. Hakim said.

The announcement coming ahead of the Lok Sabha election aims at recovering around Rs.200 crore (principal) which fell due since 1993-94.

Howrah Mayor Rathin Chakraborty said the number of defaulters had risen to 65 per cent and the scheme would help to regularise dues.