A number of schemes concentrating on outer areas of the city received much attention during this month’s Corporation Council Meeting. The city council passed a number of resolutions on schemes such as better quality roads, LED street lighting and construction of storm water drains in areas such as Ambattur, Alandur and Sholinganallur.

Out of the 97 resolutions passed during the council meeting a number of these focused on bringing the recently added and outer areas of the city to corporation standards. A separate resolution was passed for laying of better quality roads in Ambattur The mayor informed that “Road laying works in outer areas such as Ambattur and Alandur were going on in quick pace and can be expected to be completed before March 31 and in case of delays, it will be completed by April 10.”

The council also passed a resolution on installing over 534 LED lights in Ambattur of which 100 had already been installed, claimed the mayor. Laying of storm water drains in areas such as Alandur also drew special focus.

However, a slew of minor developments were also announced for areas in the city such Kodambakkam and Thiru Vi Ka Nagar. The Mayor expressed that the space under the Kodambakkam flyover will be properly barricaded and other improvements will be made. During the proceedings the council also passed a resolution to construct clothes protection rooms for the innumerous Dhobis living in Saidapet and MGR Nagar along the lines of those already available at the Chetpet Dhobi Khana.

One of the councilors mooted the idea of providing quota for councillors to provide jobs in Corporation projects.

While the BBMP is struggling to collect dues from property tax defaulters, more than 24 properties belonging to ten State and Union government departments have not paid their dues for many years.

As per the Karnataka Municipal Corporation (KMC) Act, State and Union government departments have to pay service charge on their properties to  City Corporations — in Bangalore, it is the BBMP.

The government departments have to pay only 25 per cent of the property tax which is collected as service charge.  For instance, if the property tax towards a particular government property is calculated as `1 lakh, the department has to  pay just `25,000 as service charge to the BBMP.

Defaulters

Some defaulters are Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC), Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC), Karnataka Housing Board (KHB), Karnataka State Tourism Development Corporation (KSTDC), Karnataka State Police (KSP),  Transport Department, Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB), Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL), Food Corporation of India (FCI) and Bharat Heavy Electrical Limited (BHEL).

Of these 24 government properties, 12 belong to the KSRTC and the BMTC. When contacted, Transport Minister R Ramalinga Reddy, who is also Bangalore Urban District In-charge Minister, told Express that one can pay tax from April to March (financial year).

“This year, as there is time till March, they will pay. I will also direct them to pay their dues, if any,” he added.

No Beating Drums This Time

A BBMP official said it is not easy to collect the service tax.

“We can neither go beat drums in front of their building nor confiscate their property as an attachment. Ultimately, it will be an embarrassment to the State government. Working under the government set-up, we cannot take this step,” he said.

Chairman of the BBMP’s Standing Committee for Taxation and Finance Dr MS Shivaprasad said the matter has  been brought to the notice of the Commissioner.  “They will take action,” he said.

Commissioner M Lakshminarayana blamed lower-level officials working in these departments for the delay in payments.

“It is because of their negligence that dues are not paid. It is not that they have to pay from their pocket, the department has to pay. I shall bring it to the notice of  senior officers,” he said.

“Even then, if they do not pay their dues, we might think of disconnecting water supply or other facilities. But I am sure, they will pay,” he added.