Chandigarh MC doubles property tax earnings from last fiscal for April-May period
Chandigarh MC commissioner credits reconciliation with government departments in clearing dues, updated database, identification of new structures for jump in property tax earnings
Strap: Reconciliation with govt depts in clearing dues, updated database, identification of new structures credited for increase
The municipal corporation (MC) doubled its earnings from the property tax for the first two months of this fiscal in comparison to the same period from last year.
The civic body had collected ₹24 crore during the April-May period in the 2021-2022fiscal. The revenue from property tax has jumped to ₹48 crore this year for the two months.
Speaking about the key factors behind increase in property tax earnings in comparison to last year, MC commissioner Anindita Mitra, said, “Reconciliation with other government departments in clearing their pending dues, updation of property tax database in r/o new villages, identification of newly built structure by the survey team and updation in software are some of the major factors behind the increase.”
“Updated database in r/o sites converted from SCF to SCO, residential to commercial and identification of misuse of residential houses through water tariff type or survey team have also contributed to the same,” she added.
May 31 is generally the last date for depositing property tax with rebate, after which a penalty and interest are imposed on the unpaid taxes.
The administration had on May 26 extended the last date for payment of property tax, for residential and commercial properties, with rebate to July 31 from the earlier date of May 31. The MC had offered a 20% rebate to residential property tax payers and 10% to commercial entities for tax deposited before the deadline for the 2022-23 fiscal.
There are around 1.36 lakh total property tax assessees, of which 64563 have paid the tax so far. This fiscal, the MC has widened its property tax base by adding over 2,900 new commercial tax payers in 13 villages.
As per estimates, at 440, Daria has the highest number of eligible commercial tax payees, followed by Dhanas with 430, Behlana 386, Raipur Khurd 250, Mauli Jagran 245, Kishangarh, Makhan Majra and Khuda Alisher 200 each, Khuda Jassu and Khuda Lahora 180 each, Kaimbwala 150, Raipur Kalan 110 and Sarangpur 105.
In addition to the commercial properties in the 13 villages, the MC, for the first time, is also collecting property tax from around 16,000 houses in EWS colonies across the city All houses 500 square feet or above come under tax purview.
The MC house on May 27 passed a resolution to completely waive the property tax imposed on the EWS colonies for residential properties.
For the commercial properties in colonies and villages, councillors from all the parties approved 100% waiver on penal amount including penalty and interest in the assessment year 2019-2020, 2020-2021 and 2021-2022. The MC House resolution on tax waiver, however, will be implemented only after UT Administration approval, which is yet to come.