Deccan Chronicle 06.01.2014
Intense drive against tax defaulters
Chennai: Both the Chennai metro water and Chennai corporation have intensified their drive against water and property tax defaulters.
With
the financial year coming to an end, area offices are now dispersing
show cause notices to defaulters. Corporation tax collectors are
now assessing the data related to tax payers, targeting those with
arrears to pay.
If the arrears ran into several lakhs of rupees,
warning boards would be put up on the property site. The corporation has
estimated to collect around Rs 550 crore this year, a target for which a
schedule has been drawn up. “We are working towards the target,” a
corporation official said, adding that the civic body would also
kickstart a campaign.
Announcements were also made recently through auto rickshaws.
Restaurants and hotels failing to pay their taxes on time could have
their commercial licences cancelled, another official said, adding that
posh areas like Nungambakkam and Anna Salai, always had their share
of tax defaulters.
Meanwhile, metro water engineers have also
started dispersing show cause notices, warning residents that the water
supply would be cut if the water charges and tax were not paid on time.
Surcharge
would be collected from those not paying the charges on time, and if
the situation persisted, the water lines would be snapped at the
households or commercial units of defaulters, a metro water engineer
said.
“Citizens can pay the fee at the nearby metro water depot
and area offices. Counter staff have been advised to be friendly with
tax payers to encourage them to come forward and pay up before the
deadline,” the engineer added.