Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar:
As Diwali comes to an end, the Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar Municipal Corporation (CSMC) has launched a campaign for the recovery of property and water taxes. Notices are being issued to recover dues, including taxes for the current financial year and arrears. The civic administration has started serving seizure notices to property owners with large outstanding dues.
CSMC administrator G Sreekanth and Deputy Commissioner Aparna Thete have streamlined the tax recovery process. The use of modern technology has been initiated, and properties that have not been taxed till now are being brought into the tax system. For this task, 26 separate engineers have been appointed. Due to the special focus on recovery since April 1, the municipal corporation has been able to recover up to Rs 100 crore by the end of October. Instructions have been given to all ward offices to ensure that at least Rs 400 crore is recovered by March 31.
In water tax collections, the municipal corporation typically faces a shortfall of Rs 80 to Rs 90 crore annually. To make up for this deficit, special attention is being paid to the collection of water charges.
Contacting property owners for tax recovery
A "Mitra Kaksh" (Helpline Office) has been set up at the CSMC headquarters for tax recovery, where daily reviews of the collections are being conducted. Assistant Commissioner Prasad Deshpande and Rajiv Zhade have been appointed as the head of this cell. The staff at this cell are in regular contact with property owners who are paying their taxes on time, urging them to continue doing so and reminding defaulters to pay their dues.
Door-to-Door visits ordered
The tax recovery officers and staff at all zone offices have been instructed to visit the homes of property owners daily to collect taxes. Each staff member is going door-to-door, and payments are being accepted in the form of cheques, cash, or online payments.