the goan I network
PONDA
The auditors have been pushing the panchayat to recover this pending “bicycle tax”, but the local body is simply unable to find a solution to this pending tax especially at a time when bicycles are not longer the preferred mode of transport.
A source from the panchayat informed The Goan that auditors had raised the issue during a recent audit and had advised the panchayat to work on recovering these pending taxes. “The bicycle tax is a meagre Rs 4 per annum, but even that is not being paid by defaulters. The panchayat had previous taken measures to recover the bicycle tax from defaulters, but it seems that bicycle owners are in no mood to pay the dues, as their bicycles were either damaged or unused,” said the source.
“Only two senior citizens were regular in paying the bicycle tax. But with their cycles now unusable, even they have stopped paying the bicycle tax,” the source added.
As many as 232 bicycles are officially registered with this panchayat over the past many years, but there has been no bicycle registration with the panchayat in the past five years.
“Since the same query is being raised by auditors every year, the outgoing panchas were of opinion that the pending amount be paid from panchayat funds. But even then, that panchayat can’t do this without a consent from defaulters.”
Admitting this peculiar situation, one panch said: “Our only option is to ask the government to resolve this situation. If the government advises us to forfeit the tax, we can then intimate our auditors the next time.”
“In fact, the government should take a call on this as it would benefit other panchayats confronted with the similar situation.”
In the past, the panchayat would issue a “badge” to be affixed on bicycles, once the bicycle owner paid the tax.
But while health-conscious people are willing to pay amounts ranging between Rs 8,000 and Rs 40,000 for high quality bicycles, it appears that none of them are willing to part with Rs 4 for the annual bicycle tax.
