The Hindu   10.08.2012

Tax defaulters beware

Exasperated by residents defaulting on their property tax, the civic bodies are ready with a slew of measures to bring defaulters under the net. North Delhi Municipal Corporation has decided to take stern action against defaulters by making their name public with drum beats and attaching properties and auctioning it.

At a meeting on Thursday, North Delhi’s Chairman of the High Powered Property Taxes Committee, Rajesh Bhatia, said the Delhi Government will be approached to make “no dues certificates” compulsory at the time of transfer of property and sanctioning plans for alterations of existing property.

Earlier this week, the Standing Committee of the South Delhi Municipal Corporation had also decided to shame defaulters by hiring “dhol wallahs” to play outside the homes of defaulters.

At the meeting, B. N. Singh, Assessor and Collector, had said that there was no other option but to revert to traditional methods to recover taxes. The Standing Committee was discussing ways to augment the income from property tax, the biggest source of revenue for the civic body.