Greasing palm plays crucial role in levying property tax!

Lokmat News Network

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar:

Every year, the Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar Municipal Corporation (CSMC) is facing a financial crunch, due to paucity of funds in its exchequer. The crunch has emerged due to poor collection of property tax and water tax according to the civic officials. However, in real, it has come to notice that many responsible citizens are voluntarily contacting their respective ward offices to levy property taxes on their properties, but their applications are set aside due to reasons better known to the civic staff concerned. It is learnt that the property-holders are harassed claiming that they will have to pay tax for the last six years. However, if the palm of the respective official is greased in the morning, he levies the current year's property tax by evening, said the sources.

There are tens of thousands of properties which are out of the property tax ambit. The administration has made several initiatives in the past to bring maximum properties under the tax ambit through field surveys and drone surveys and synchronising with Google images. Despite this, the tax is not levied upon 100 per cent of the properties.

There are few percentage of responsible citizens, who voluntarily approach their respective ward office for levying tax, but they are welcomed with a smile and in an unpleasant manner. The ward office staff terrorise them by showing an exorbitant amount of property tax. If the negotiation is done then the tax is levied from the current year. It is alleged that the municipal corporation administration is not ready to pay heed towards this core issue. The ‘tax’ game is played by fixed staff only, it is learnt.

Complaints of property-holders

-Murlidhar Deo of Mayanagar (N-15) paid his regular tax, but a notice has been served to him claiming an outstanding tax. His complaints to correct this mistake have been piled up in the dustbin.

-Punjab Mokase of Kasliwal Bhagyoday has urged to cancel the extra amount of tax levied on his property.

-Sandoo Jadhav, an ex-serviceman, of Regency Villa in Itkheda has been pursuing for the last two years. The CSMC has levied property tax twice on his property.

-Nivrutti Wagh of T V Centre’s Sanjay Gandhi Market has urged to scrap additional tax levied on his shop.

-Kunal Rajput of Tirupati Park (Phase IV) in Gurusahaninagar is served the property tax bill with the wrong mention of a flat number.

-Jijabai Ambhore of Sangharshnagar 5-B has paid the tax, but an outstanding of Rs 87,000 is being shown in the record.

-Ambadas Chaudhary of Geetpuja Residency in Shashtrinagar has been levied with an extra amount of tax.

Municipal employees at citizens' doorsteps

Some of the property owners whose complaints were highlighted by the newspaper on Sunday. Accordingly, municipal employees visit their homes today early in the morning. The employees also collected the necessary documents from them. The concerned property owners expressed their gratitude to the newspaper for bringing their issues to light.