Panel to probe into mismatch in bill collection, remittance

The suspected mismatch in the amount collected by MangaloreOne centres for Mangalore City Corporation and the actual amount remitted to it will come under the scanner of the civic body.

The corporation council, in its meeting on Monday, resolved to constitute a six-member house committee to look into bills and tax amount collected and paid into its kitty. It also decided that the committee of six members should conduct a survey of unauthorised hoardings in the city.

Mayor Mahabala Marla, who presided over the meeting, instructed that the committee, comprising councillors form the ruling and Opposition parties, should submit its reports on the two issues within 10 days to him.

Earlier, Vijaya Kumar Shetty, a BJP councillor, told the council that he had learnt that the mismatch was more than Rs. 3.50 crore. He claimed that MangaloreOne centres collected Rs. 112.99 crore from people between June 2010 and September 25, 2014 in the form of various bills and taxes.

But the actual remittance to the corporation’s account stood at Rs. 109.20 crore. Mr. Shetty claimed that he learnt that Rs. 1 crore has been remitted to the civic body’s account after September 25. Yet, a balance of about Rs. 2.50 crore is due to the corporation.

The Mayor, who agreed that the gap in remittance was huge, said that it should be investigated.

Illegal hoardings

Mr. Shetty alleged that there were many unauthorised hoardings which resulted in huge revenue loss to the civic body. He claimed that though the civic body, a decade ago, adopted a policy of not allowing hoardings in public places, there were a number of illegal hoardings in such places.

The Mayor said that Purushotham Chitrapura, chairman, standing committee on taxation, finance and appeals, should head the six-member study committee.

After some members pressed that revenue collection of the civic body should be studied thoroughly to plug the loopholes, the Mayor said that he would convene a special meeting on this shortly.

Town Hall renovation

The council agreed to renovate the Town Hall at an estimated cost of Rs. 99.75 lakh through the Nirmiti Kendra, Surathkal. It should be completed before this year-end.