Panel for cess on buying vehicle, property in Chandigarh

Sandeep Rana
Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, July 7

You may have to pay a municipal cess on the purchase of a vehicle as well as on the registration of the sale deed of property in the city.

A committee constituted to enhance the revenue sources of the Municipal Corporation (MC) today deliberated over imposing a municipal cess on the purchase of vehicles and the registration of the sale deeds of properties.

If the levy is proposed and approved, it will increase the prices of vehicles and the fee for the registration of the property sale deeds in the city.

The panel has asked MC officials to table all details regarding the cess in the next meeting, which is scheduled to be held on July 17.

The corporation had recently imposed cow cess and municipal cess on power. Besides, house and commercial property tax rates were also increased.

The panel also suggested imposition of green/entry tax on commercial vehicles.

“We have so many vehicles coming into the city from different states. We can earn a huge revenue from green/entry tax. It will boost the sagging revenues of the civic body,” suggested a councillor.

Besides, members of the committee also suggested conducting a power and water audit. A councillor privy to the development said the civic body foots a power bill of Rs9 crore every month. The major expense was of running the street lights. The monthly water bill of the MC comes to Rs2 crore.

The panel also deliberated over giving community centre rooms on rent when not booked for some marriage or event. “The rooms are not booked throughout the year. By giving these on rent, we can at least recover some of the maintenance cost,” said a councillor.

The panel members also suggested offering one-time settlement to defaulters with whom the civic body is fighting court cases.