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Kolhapur Municipal Corporation starts property review to track tax evaders

Friday, 13 December 2013 11:58 administrator
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The Times of India            13.12.2013

Kolhapur Municipal Corporation starts property review to track tax evaders

KOLHAPUR: Kolhapur Municipal Corporation has launched a drive to scrutinize properties and the corresponding taxes that the respective owners have to pay.

The drive will also assess the unauthorized constructions in the city.

The decision was taken following a shabby performance by the property tax department, which raked in only Rs 12 crore as against the target of Rs 41 crore for the current financial year.

Property tax superintendent Dilip Koli said, "We have appointed an agency to conduct the survey of the properties in the city. We have asked the agency to also verify the earlier receipts of the property tax and compare those with that of the size of the property concerned. Through the drive we can track the tax evaders and impose fines on their owners."

"These are, however, primary estimates and we think that there are even more such properties. The survey will help us find both the tax evaders and the properties that have come up during the last couple of years. The unauthorized constructions in the city will be assessed based on the survey results and a policy regarding regularization of these properties can be formulated then," Koli said.

The KMC is also going to start the mapping of the properties by using the Geographic Information System (GIS). "We have allotted the work of mapping to a Thane-based company. We had conducted a couple of meetings about the mapping. However, we are yet to be satisfied with the demonstration presented by the company. It has pledged to conduct a sample survey soon," he added.

According to the system, every property will get a unique identity number. Once the number is fed into the system, all surveyed information such as the corresponding house number, detailed address and owner's name, details like electricity and water connection numbers, as well as data like built-up and carpet areas, number of floors, usage and year of construction will be available to assess the property tax. According to its plan, the KMC was scheduled to map properties from the C ward in the first phase, to be rolled out to other places later.

KMC systems manager Nazia Mullani had earlier said the GIS mapping system not only covers properties, but also has data related to trees, temporary structures and municipal as well as other service utilities.

The ssyetm also helps in better urban planning and effective implementation of developmental schemes by providing exact measurements, size and location of buildings.

The state government had earlier this year the civic body to stop civic services like water supply, drainage facilities and electricity to all illegal and dilapidated structures in the city ahead of the monsoon.It had also asked the civic body to publish details of builders engaged in illegal construction and initiate criminal action against them at the earliest.

 

LMC lays down new rules for street vendors

Friday, 13 December 2013 11:49 administrator
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The Times of India            13.12.2013

LMC lays down new rules for street vendors

LUCKNOW: The Lucknow Municipal Corporation (LMC) has issued formal orders for use of public space by street vendors in the state capital. In his latest order, municipal commissioner, RK Singh said vending activity will not be allowed on roads less than 8 meters wide. In case of roads more than 8 metres wide, the street vendors may carry out their activity only on one side of the road.

Each vendor will occupy a space of one square meter only so that it does not disrupt traffic and movement of pedestrians. Vending will be allowed between 7 am and 10 pm and LMC will seize objects if found vendor is found operating beyond that time. No permission will be given to vendors using hand carts.

The rules will have wider implications for vendors operating in the congested Aminabad. In his order, Singh said vendors from Mohan market will have to be removed. Specific places will have to be earmarked for vending in and around Jhandewala park, Kaiserbagh and Gadbadjhala. The areas will have to be marked with yellow line in these places. The lines will be drawn on the side of the road as well as on the side of the drain so that there is no disruption in traffic movement.

Singh said LMC will note the name of the vendors carrying out activities on roads less than 8 meters. The corporation will also photograph the vendors and register how long they have been there.

The commissioner said vendors displaced will be allotted suitable place in and around Jhandewala Park and other vending zones.

 

Civic body revives plans for abattoir at Shiravane village in Nerul

Friday, 13 December 2013 11:39 administrator
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The Times of India            13.12.2013

Civic body revives plans for abattoir at Shiravane village in Nerul

NAVI MUMBAI: Three years after the proposal to set up an abattoir in Nerul was shot down, following objection by guardian minister Ganesh Naik, the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) has now revived the same proposal.

NMMC recently approached the City and Industrial Development Corporation (Cidco) to transfer the required land in Shiravane village to set up the abattoir. The land is located about three-kms away from the city centre in Nerul and 8-10 kms away from the proposed international airport.

The civic body has revived the proposal as the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC) finally granted an access road through their property to the proposed abattoir.

"We had been asking the MIDC to grant us permission for quite some time as there is a need to set up an abattoir. Apart from being an amenity to be provided in the development plan, an abattoir will stop the proliferation of illegal slaughter houses across Navi Mumbai," said NMMC commissioner Abasaheb Jarhad, who hopes the abattoir starts at the earliest.

Jarhad also dismissed concerns that the abattoir may cause obstructions on the flight path once the proposed international airport becomes functional.

However, the Jain community is not too happy with the decisionto set the abattoir. In 2010, the NMMC had shot down the proposal after Naik supported the community's objections to setting up a slaughter house. About 150 organizations, including Patanjali Yoga Samiti, Navi Mumbai Jain Sthanak Sangh and Swaminarayan Gurukul, had organized protest rallies against NMMC's plan.

"Though the residents of Navi Mumbai do not get enough water everyday, the corporation is planning to set up an abattoir. I also do not understand the economics behind setting it up," said a senior functionary of Viniyog Pariwar, on hearing that the plans are being revived.

Echoing his view, an associate of Vinamrasagarji Maharaj, a Jain muni who led the protests, said, "There are approximately 40,000 authorized and 1 lakh unauthorized abattoirs that illegally slaughter thousands of healthy cattle illegally. These should be stopped immediately. Also, these abattoirs harm the environment."

Stating that he was aware of the objections voiced by Naik and the Jain community, Jarhad said he was hopeful of resolving the issue.

Negotiations between Cidco and NMMC over the price of the land have begun.

"There is a policy to give land on concessional rates to a sister government organization. But, Cidco can only offer concessions against the prevailing land price in the market," said a senior Cidco functionary.

Though NMMC is unhappy with Cidco's stand, a few senior civic officials agree with the development body's version. "Huge revenue is needed to run a meat business within the country and internationally. Since our idea(though premature) is to run the abattoir on public-private partnership mode, the corporation can recover its costs and also earn profits. Currently, the NMMC earns meagre or no revenue from the fractured meat dealers' market," said a civic official.

 
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