Spencer Plaza shops sealed for tax dues

In a bid to collect long-pending water tax arrears, Chennai Metrowater has started issuing notices and sealing buildings of defaulters.

On Wednesday, a team of officials sealed three shops in Spencer Plaza on Anna Salai for defaulting on arrears of Rs. 2.7 lakh for over five years. Of the 619 shops in the complex that had defaulted on payment, the water agency had identified 18 shops that had over Rs. 70,000 in arrears.

Notices warning of sealing the shops and snapping water and sewer connections were issued, following which owners of 15 of the shops paid arrears of nearly Rs. 7 lakh on Monday.

This fiscal, Rs. 226.98 crore was collected till November last year, against the estimated tax demand of Rs. 451.69 crore raised across the city.

The agency is working on a list of defaulters in various zones to issue notices to. In Teynampet zone alone, about 4,000 defaulters have been identified so far, and measures will be initiated against them under the Revenue Recovery Act, officials said.

Notices will be issued to both commercial and residential structures that have had dues for several years. Officials said such action would continue to enforce payment of arrears pending for several years.

As part of an enforcement drive against long-pending arrears, the three shops were identified as having defaulted for over five years