Taxation

Parking a car in T Nagar lot to cost Rs 30 per hour

Saturday, 25 August 2012 08:58 administrator

The Times of India 25.08.2012

Parking a car in T Nagar lot to cost Rs 30 per hour

CHENNAI: Parking could soon become an expensive affair for shoppers in T Nagar, the city's commercial hub.

The Chennai Corporation council on Friday passed a resolution approving a 25 crore project to build a multi-level parking facility on Bashyam Road. The corporation is expected to call for tenders for the project next week.

The facility, to come up next to Panagal Park, will be equipped with state-of-the-art facilities such as closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras and electronic ticketing counters. However, the proposed parking fee for four-wheelers at 30 an hour is more expensive than even in some popular malls.

"The fee recommended was Rs 40 for cars and 10 for two-wheelers. Mayor Saidai S Duraisamy felt it would be too expensive, and after a lot of debate we brought it down to 30 and 10 for two-wheelers," said Karthikeyan. This is still more expensive than the Express Avenue mall where the charges are 25 per hour for four-wheelers on weekends and public holidays. However, it is felt that the occasional shopper will not mind as long as he/she gets a comfortable parking spot in the congested area.

The facility would consist of six or seven levels and will be able to hold around 510 four-wheelers and 918 two-wheelers. "A real estate agency did a thorough feasibility study in the area, including the soil and rock formation, and proposed building three levels above ground and three or four underground," said corporation commissioner D Karthikeyan.

The structure would be built on a design, build and transfer basis. The selected contractor will get to maintain and manage it for 30 years, paying the civic body an annual licensing fee of 3.20 lakh.

To provide a better incentive for contractors, the civic body said 20% of the cost would be funded by the Central government's viability gap fund. "The corporation and the government have to put in some money because it is a very big project," said the commissioner.

The feasibility report was submitted last week by real estate experts Jones Land Lasalle Management (JLLM), who are preparing a detailed report for the complete redevelopment of T Nagar. This project was also announced in the state legislative assembly by the local administration and water supply minister K P Munusamy, and will be overlooked by the Tamil Nadu Urban Financial Infrastructure Services Limited (TNUFSIL).

Last Updated on Saturday, 25 August 2012 09:04

Corporation to pull up tax-evading companies

Saturday, 11 August 2012 04:20 administrator

The Hindu 11.08.2012

Corporation to pull up tax-evading companies

Staff Reporter

25,000 firms identified; existing ceiling of Rs. 1,000 for half-year to be increased The Chennai Corporation has identified over 25,000 companies under city limits that are not paying company tax.

The civic body has instructed revenue department officials in all zones to find out if these companies still exist. If so, they will be made to pay company tax. The Corporation will also identify employees in these companies who do not currently pay professional tax and instruct them to do so.

Company tax rates in the city are likely to be increased as the existing rate with a ceiling of Rs. 1,000 for half-year, is found to be low. A chunk of companies identified are in the newly-merged zones of Ambattur, Tiruvottiyur, Manali, Madhavaram, Valasaravakkam, Perungudi and Sholinganallur.

Under Section 110 of the Chennai City Municipal Corporation Act, all private limited companies and limited companies which transact business within the city, in any half year for not less than 60 days in aggregate, should pay company tax. This tax is based on the paid-up capital of the company.

Even though the civic body has planned steps to widen its tax base, attempts to increase the number of employees in the revenue department have failed. According to employees of the revenue department of the civic body, there needs to be one licence inspector for every ward.

At present, there are around 40 licence inspectors for 200 wards. Field-level officials of the revenue department pointed to the fact that work such as census was emerging as stumbling blocks for collection of revenue to a certain extent.

The civic body council, a few months ago, approved rates for company tax and professional tax in the newly-merged areas under its limits. The same rates that are in force in the old limits of the civic body were to be implemented in the new zones, according to the resolution.

The civic body is also planning to address the challenge of inadequate enforcement mechanism in order to ensure better compliance.

Majority of companies not paying taxes are in the newly-merged zones

Employees in these companies, not paying professional tax, will be asked to pay up

Last Updated on Saturday, 11 August 2012 04:22

Survey for creating GIS database begins in all zones

Friday, 13 July 2012 09:12 administrator

The Hindu 13.07.2012

Survey for creating GIS database begins in all zones

S.Ganesan

A survey to collect and collate data on the city’s infrastructure and property for creating a Geographic Information System (GIS) database has commenced in all the four zones of the corporation.

The survey, completed in ward 44 in Golden Rock zone after being taken up on a pilot basis, has now been extended to the other 64 wards in the city.

The GIS database will have applications in urban planning and civic services, including monitoring property tax assessment and collection, the drinking water supply and drainage networks. Tata Consultancy Services has been entrusted with the task of developing the GIS.

The city’s infrastructure such as buildings, roads, water distribution network, hospitals, educational institutions, bus stands, transport routes, parks, and playgrounds are being mapped. The project has been taken up under World Bank-funded Tamil Nadu Urban Development Project-III.

Tiruchi is one of the five urban local bodies identified in the State for land-based digital mapping with the help of satellite images.

Coimbatore and Madurai Corporation and Gobichettipalayam and Rajapalayam municipality are the other four urban local bodies that are being covered under the project.

According to corporation officials, a base map has already been created based on satellite images.

Currently a survey is on to enumerate details of the public infrastructure and private property to be uploaded to the system.

Corporation Commissioner V.P.Thandapani, who inaugurated the exercise at ward 30 in Golden Rock zone on Monday, told The Hindu that about 1.80 lakh property in the city would have to be covered under the survey and the corporation has deployed its bill collectors to work along with the TCS field staff to carry out the survey.

“The TCS has about 80 staff and we have increased the number of teams with our staff. We hope to complete the project by November 30,” Mr.Thandapani said.

Meanwhile, the survey has triggered apprehensions among a section of residents in the wards that the move was a precursor for a property tax revision.

Enumerators collect data on the name of the owner or tenant of the property, its usage, area measurements, electricity service connections and other details.

This, say some officials, results in the residents not extending their full cooperation to the enumerators visiting them.

The reluctance is pronounced among residents in wards which were formerly under other local bodies such as town panchayats and panchayats, a corporation official said.

Mr.Thandapani, however, clarified that the survey was not intended to carry out any immediate revision of property tax.

Though the database would form the basis for the future property tax revisions, carried out once every five years, cases of under-assessment are not being targeted for revision now.

However, property which have not been assessed for property tax may be assessed based on the survey.