MARGAO
Unscrupulous politicians must have made hay at the Cuncolim Industrial Estate while pollution had choked the local residents, literally, since the Industrial estate was set up in the town in the early 90s.
That the politicos knocked the doors of the industrial units for donations and sponsorship over the years is an open secret. But, the latest audit report may raise many an eyebrow as the Council is believed to have lost precious revenue running into lakhs of rupees by way of non-payment of house tax and other fees from the industrial units.
In fact, the government’s scheme titled The Goa Municipal Council grant-in-aid to the Municipal councils within the notified Areas Scheme 2001 coupled with the indifference and lethargy of the Cuncolim civic body seemed to have denied precious revenue to the municipality.
The scheme mandated the Goa Industrial Development Corporation to recover the annual taxes, fees and other dues in terms of the Goa Municipalities Rules, 1968 in respect of buildings in the notified Industrial Estate areas and pass on 90 per cent of the taxes and 95 per cent of the fees to the civic bodies.
However, on a review of the Register of Demand and Collection of House tax for 2010-11, it was noticed that an amount of Rs 65.32 lakh was in arrears as on March 31, 2011.
The audit has pointed that the 29 industrial units which were issued trade licenses between 1993 and 2001 were not assessed for house tax, which has deprived the Council of revenue for the past 10 years. The audit has asserted that the civic body ought to have initiated action to raise the demand on the defaulting industrial units and issue demand to GIDC for recovery of taxes/fees with retrospective effect.
Taking cognizance of the utter failure of the civic body to recover revenue from the industrial units, the audit has now told the Cuncolim civic body to collect the arrears of revenue in respect of the industrial units set up in the industrial estate up to March 31, 2001.
The Audit has further asserted that the arrears of revenue not reimbursed by the Directorate of Industries for the period from April 2001 to March 2011 may be reimbursed from the government
through the Director of Municipal Administration.
When The Goan contacted Chief Officer Shankar Gaonkar, he said his office has already written to the DMA.
