The Times of India 02.04.2013
'Recover property tax revenue loss from staffers'
NAGPUR: Standing committee
chairman of Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) Avinash Thakre has
strongly reprimanded city engineer Sanjay Gaikwad for harassing citizens
over a property tax case. He also told Gaikwad that if he felt that NMC
had incurred a loss due to wrong assessment then he should recommend
that this should be recovered from the employees concerned.
Fourteen property owners of Deshraj Layout, Jaripatka, had been directed by the then Asi Nagar zone commissioner Rajesh Karade to pay tax with effect from 1970 even though they had already paid it till 2008. Strangely, many of their neighbours did not get demand notes with retrospective effect. The affected citizens claim that many of their neighbours had paid bribes to NMC staffers.
Gaikwad simply rejected the appeal without assigning any reason in August 2012. The citizens led by consumer activist Shankar Gulani met municipal commissioner Shyam Wardhane in November who agreed that grave injustice had been done to them and ordered Gaikwad to hold another hearing. However, the official is yet to decide the case.
When these citizens went to meet Gaikwad on Monday, he was in Thakre's chamber. Some of them urged Thakre to help them. This TOI reporter was also present there.
After going through the case, Thakre asked Gaikwad the reason for not passing an order. At first, the officer said some of the residents had been occupying the property for several years but did mutation in 2008. Thakre pointed out that reassessment could not be ordered on this count. Gaikwad then said the assessment had been done as per rent chart, whereas it should have been done on the basis of area. He also claimed that he had not overruled Karade's order as both were of equivalent rank.
The standing panel chief then lost his cool. "Whose fault is it if the assessment was not done properly? How can you harass citizens for the fault of our people? If you feel that NMC has incurred loss then recommend it in clear letters that the amount should be recovered from the employees concerned and send this to your senior officer for further action."
The citizens also told Thakre about harassment by Asi Nagar zone officer Prakash Warade following which the chairman has convened a meeting of Warade, ADMC Ravindra Kumbhare and Gaikwad on Tuesday morning.
It's matter of attitude
Many NMC officials are accused of insensitivity towards citizens but rarely a journalist gets an opportunity to witness such behaviour. This TOI scribe had also seen the Jaripatka residents first meet additional deputy municipal commissioner (ADMC) Ravindra Kumbhare over Gaikwad's non-compliance of Wardhane's directives.
Kumbhare told them that if Gaikwad did not follow his orders then there was nothing he could do. "He is not my junior. Please take up the issue with the municipal commissioner," Kumbhare asked the residents.
Kumbhare is senior to Gaikwad and even if the latter is not directly working under him he has to obey Kumbhare's directives in property tax cases.
Fourteen property owners of Deshraj Layout, Jaripatka, had been directed by the then Asi Nagar zone commissioner Rajesh Karade to pay tax with effect from 1970 even though they had already paid it till 2008. Strangely, many of their neighbours did not get demand notes with retrospective effect. The affected citizens claim that many of their neighbours had paid bribes to NMC staffers.
Gaikwad simply rejected the appeal without assigning any reason in August 2012. The citizens led by consumer activist Shankar Gulani met municipal commissioner Shyam Wardhane in November who agreed that grave injustice had been done to them and ordered Gaikwad to hold another hearing. However, the official is yet to decide the case.
When these citizens went to meet Gaikwad on Monday, he was in Thakre's chamber. Some of them urged Thakre to help them. This TOI reporter was also present there.
After going through the case, Thakre asked Gaikwad the reason for not passing an order. At first, the officer said some of the residents had been occupying the property for several years but did mutation in 2008. Thakre pointed out that reassessment could not be ordered on this count. Gaikwad then said the assessment had been done as per rent chart, whereas it should have been done on the basis of area. He also claimed that he had not overruled Karade's order as both were of equivalent rank.
The standing panel chief then lost his cool. "Whose fault is it if the assessment was not done properly? How can you harass citizens for the fault of our people? If you feel that NMC has incurred loss then recommend it in clear letters that the amount should be recovered from the employees concerned and send this to your senior officer for further action."
The citizens also told Thakre about harassment by Asi Nagar zone officer Prakash Warade following which the chairman has convened a meeting of Warade, ADMC Ravindra Kumbhare and Gaikwad on Tuesday morning.
It's matter of attitude
Many NMC officials are accused of insensitivity towards citizens but rarely a journalist gets an opportunity to witness such behaviour. This TOI scribe had also seen the Jaripatka residents first meet additional deputy municipal commissioner (ADMC) Ravindra Kumbhare over Gaikwad's non-compliance of Wardhane's directives.
Kumbhare told them that if Gaikwad did not follow his orders then there was nothing he could do. "He is not my junior. Please take up the issue with the municipal commissioner," Kumbhare asked the residents.
Kumbhare is senior to Gaikwad and even if the latter is not directly working under him he has to obey Kumbhare's directives in property tax cases.
