Rs 74,000 recovered from property tax defaulters

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, January 21

The Property Tax Department today recovered Rs 74,000 property tax by sealing as many as six properties at Kishanpura Chowk and nearby areas.

The official concerned with the department, Bhupinder Singh Waring, asked the defaulters to deposit their property tax till February 25 to take advantage under the one-time settlement policy. A few days ago, the department had sealed eight properties on the old Hoshiarpur road near Lamba Pind Chowk and seven properties in the Rama Mandi area. On January 8, the department had taken action against eight properties in the Avtar Nagar area by sealing them. Almost daily, the officials have been visiting areas where defaulters have not deposited property tax.

Notably, the officials have also been making people aware of the one-time settlement policy, which was introduced in November last year. They said those persons who had failed to deposit the house tax or property tax, may deposit the principle amount in lump sum with a rebate at the rate of 10 per cent of the amount being deposited within a period of three months from the date of issue of the order as a one-time settlement.

According to the order, those, who still fail to deposit the due amount as stated above, within the period and the manner specified above will be liable to pay a penalty at the rate of 20 per cent on the amount due along with interest at the rate of 18 per cent from the date it became due till the date of its realisation.

Notably, as the financial year is coming to an end, the MC has started a drive and trying to meet the target of recovery of Rs 40 crore from property tax. In the Budget this year, the MC has set a target of Rs 40 crore as revenue from property tax.