As part of its efforts to ensure better collection of property tax, both for the current year as well as arrears, the Corporation has initiated various efforts.
The latest in that is the plan to invoke Revenue Recovery Act against defaulters.
Corporation Commissioner T.K. Ponnusamy says the civic body was planning to invoke the RR Act against those who have property tax arrears for three years and above.
If the Corporation decides to invoke the Act it will have to write to the district collector, who will in turn ask the thasildar concerned to issue notice to defaulters, who will have 15-day to one month period for clearing the arrears.
Their failing to clear the arrears will enable the Revenue Department officials to attach and auction the property.
Mr. Ponnusamy says that the civic body is left with very little choice but to invoke the Act because there are 3,398 defaulters, who have not cleared arrears that are more than years old, and their pending amount is Rs. 23.84 crore.
Deputy Commissioner S. Sivarasu says that if the civic body were to issue notice, attach and auction the property, it would be the recent stringent measure in at least the last decade.
He justifies saying that no gentle action has worked in the past, especially against those who do not have water connection.
For those assessees with water connection, the Corporation usually temporarily severs the water connection to make them clear the arrears. But for those without water connection, it is left with no choice.
The Commissioner says that the civic body will, however, not act against those who have filed cases related to property tax against the Corporation. There are 217 such cases.
The Corporation's move comes as the property tax collection for the current year has touched 83 per cent. West Zone tops the list of zones with 89 per cent collection. South Zone fares poorly with 75 per cent.
The overall collection for the current year stands at 83 per cent.
Mr. Ponnusamy says that the aim is to record 95 per cent collection.
As part of its drive to boost tax collection, Mayor S.M. Velusamy in his budget speech announced incentives for tax collectors. He had said that those tax collectors who record cent per cent tax collection would receive prizes from the Corporation.
