Notices to govt offices in Faridabad over pending Rs 63-cr property tax

Bijendra Ahlawat

Tribune News Service

Faridabad, December 28

Intensifying the efforts to recover the pending property tax, the Municipal Corporation Faridabad (MCF) authorities have started issuing notices to various government offices that owe dues of over Rs 63 crore.

Efforts on to recover amount

Notices and reminders are being issued to the departments concerned. Efforts are on to recover the pending dues despite the fact that government offices can not be sealed. Abhishek Meena, additional commissioner, MCF

Revealing this, official sources in the civic body said though the total amount of pending property tax in the city had been nearly Rs 230 crore, 107 offices and buildings of the government departments have failed to clear dues of Rs 63.05 crore so far.

According to the details prepared by the MCF, the defaulters include almost all departments which have not paid the tax for the past many years. While properties owned and operated by the police need to clear an outstanding dues of around Rs 10.86 crore, which include dues of Rs 7.24 crore pending towards the building of the police station in Sector31 here. Similarly, the properties of the HSVP, which include shops, markets and offices have an outstanding of about Rs 10 crore as property tax. The Estate Office of the HSVP owes an amount of Rs 7.50 crore.

Among other defaulters, the BSNL has to pay a tax of over Rs 8.22 crore it is claimed. The under renovation Nahar Singh International Cricket stadium and the DCA cricket club located on its premises has also failed to pay a pending tax of Rs 4.58 crore,so far, it is reported. The stadium, undergoing renovation at a cost of RS 115 crore has been closed for the past several years.

Similarly, the mini-secretariat which houses the offices of the district administration, including the office of the DC, needs to clear a tax of over Rs 2.69 crore, according to officials.

The district court has to pay an amount of Rs 2.13 crore, HVPNL — Rs 1.14 crore, Government of India Press — Rs1.35 crore, RCH hospital, Sector 30 (Health Department) — Rs 2.30 crore, Power sub-station —Rs 2.16 crore, Telephone Exchange —Rs 3.19 crore, Panchayat Bhawan — Rs1.85 crore, Civil Hospital—Rs 81.8 lakh and Red Cross office — Rs 83 lakh.

Claiming that notices and reminders were being issued to the departments concerned, Abhishek Meena, Additional Commissioner, MCF, said efforts were on to recover the pending dues despite the fact that government offices could not be sealed.

107 have failed to clear dues

Official sources in the civic body said though the total amount of pending property tax in the city had been nearly Rs 230 crore, 107 offices and buildings of the government departments have failed to clear dues of Rs 63.05 crore so far.