The Tiruchi Corporation is taking concerted efforts to mop up the property tax dues from various government departments. The civic body has asked government agencies to pay up the tax dues from their properties before March 11. The Corporation has also asked city residents to pay up their tax and non-tax dues before the deadline.
The Corporation has so far mopped up Rs.24.28 crore out of the total collectable tax and non-tax demand of Rs.34.36 crore for the current financial year. This accounted for only 74 per cent collection so far, according to Corporation Commissioner V.P.Thandapani. The Corporation has also taken special efforts to collect the tax dues for government properties as the realisation under this has been abysmal this financial year. While the tax dues from various government agencies is Rs.9.85 crore, only Rs.96.95 lakhs has been realised so far.
Mr.Thandapani said demand notices have been served to the government agencies concerned to pay their property tax dues right at the beginning of the third quarter of the financial year. This apart, Corporation employees have also been in touch with the heads of the department reminding them to pay their tax dues before March 11. Mr.Thandapani has emphasised the need for collecting the remaining Rs.8.61 crore at the earliest.
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The Commissioner observed that it was imperative on the civic body to mop up all tax dues so as to obtain matching grants from the government for development works.
Mr.Thandapani, in a press release, also disclosed that Rs.4.94 crore has been realised as professional tax so far this year against the collectable demand of Rs.7.18 crore, accounting for 94 per cent collection. The Corporation has however realised only 61 per cent of the collectable water tax demand. While the demand was Rs.14.93 crore, only Rs.7.96 crore has been collected so far under this head. Under non-tax heads, the civic body has realised 62 per cent (Rs.2.67 crore) of the collectable demand of Rs.4.41 crore.