NAGPUR: Those paying
property tax will have to make the payments in two phases from the
current financial year. This is part of Nagpur Municipal Corporation’s
(NMC) new tax system according to the provisions of the Maharashtra
Municipal Corporations (MMC) Act. Late payment of tax will attract 2%
interest per month from July 1 itself.

Chairman of standing committee Avinash Thakre
said the process to issue demand notes for property tax has been kicked
off. “Demand notes will be prepared and distributed zone-wise from this
year onwards between May 15 and 31. Rebate system will continue for
taxpayers paying the tax before the due date,” he said.

Additional deputy municipal commissionerRavindra Kumbhare
has prepared the new demand note format. “Two columns will be printed
in the demand note, mentioning the amount to paid in first and second
phase separately. The due date of first phase will be June 30 and that
for second phase will be December 31. Penalty of 2% interest per month
will start from July 1 onwards and for second phase from January 1,” he
said.

The property tax has always been an annual affair till
date. NMC used to issue demand notes after December, and they used to be
payable till March 31.

Thakre also said the process to
reassess 57,000 properties getting demand notes up to Rs 200 per year
has started. “Re-assessment of around 3,000 properties has been
completed with around 300 properties under suspicion of irregularity.
Majority of the remaining 2,700 properties are in slum areas or belong
to NMC itself. Re-assessment of remaining 54,000 properties will be
completed by May 15,” he said.

Meanwhile, the standing
committee held a meeting on Friday. It approved additional expense of Rs
63.26 lakh for proposed electricity feeder for Kanhan water treatment
plant. Thakre said the estimated cost increased following the bidding.
“First, the work was costing Rs 3.53 crore. Now, the total expense on
feeder and other electricity related works is coming to Rs 7.15 crore,”
he said.

The standing committee also approved appointment of a
committee to compile data on materials stored at NMC godown since 1997.
The material has been seized during various encroachment drives. The
committee will compile data and fix prices for auction. Thakre said the
administration has also been asked to collect scrap from health and
other departments.