The Hindu 04.11.2009
Last date for property tax amnesty extended
Staff Reporter
Scheme extended up to December 31 due to festival season
NEW DELHI: The MCD Standing Committee chairman, R. K. Singhal, on Tuesday announced that the date for availing of the amnesty scheme in property tax has been extended up to December 31.
As a large number of residents’ welfare associations and citizens sent representations to the MCD stating that they could not avail themselves of the amnesty scheme due to the festival season, the civic body has decided to extend the date, said Mr. Singhal.
“Tax-payers have evinced great interest in the scheme. As many as 27,000 defaulting tax-payers have availed themselves of the scheme contributing a revenue of Rs.70 crore,” said Mr. Singhal.
Mr. Singhal said they will now be able to save themselves from penalties, one per cent interest per month and other penal action. “We’ve already launched a survey to detect properties whose owners have not reported for payment of property tax so far. The MCD is also going to embark on a penal drive against defaulting property taxpayers.”
Till October 31, the MCD collected Rs.480 crore in property tax. The collection during the corresponding period last year was Rs.388 crore. “Thus, we collected Rs.92 crore more compared with last year. This growth has been recorded despite a recession. There was an increase in the number of tax-payers this year,” he said.
