Stung by the cold shoulder response by property taxpayers to the much-hyped amnesty scheme, the Mira Bhayandar Municipal Corporation (MBMC) has decided to act tough against the willful defaulters.
The 45-day tax amnesty scheme which offered 75 per cent waiver on penalty and interest levied on property tax defaulters, subject to one-time payment ended on March 15.
Breaking the age-old tradition of limiting the onus of collection only on personnel from the tax department, civic chief Dilip Dhole has now roped in senior officers right from the rank of clerks to deputy municipal commissioners of various wings to shoulder the responsibility of mopping up tax dues in an intensified collection drive.
Apart from snapping water lines, slapping warrants and sealing immovable properties, the MBMC has also come up with a plan to seize movable properties — computers, furniture, sofas, televisions, refrigerators, bikes and other valuables of defaulters.
“Yes, special teams headed by senior officers have been deputed to supervise collection drives. For accountability and transparency, specific targets have been assigned with directions to file action taken reports on a daily basis. Receipts will be issued while impounding movable properties which will be kept in safe custody and returned after the dues are cleared,” said tax-in-charge Sudam Godse while appealing tax payers to clear the dues to avoid such action.
As against the target of Rs. 222 crore, the MBMC has managed to mop-up Rs. 143 crore so far. However, the challenge is to recover another Rs. 79 crore in the remaining 15 days to meet the demand. The MBMC expects to mop another Rs 50 to Rs. 55 crore in the current fiscal which ends on March 31. There are more than 2.69 lakh residential and 60,886 commercial tax payers in the twin-city.
