MARGAO
Prominent financial institutions operating in the commercial capital have now come under the scanner for defaulting on payment of trade tax and rent to the Margao Municipal Council.
That a prominent financial institution, having a branch at the Osia Commercial Complex at the SGPDA complex, rushed to the civic body to clear dues amounting to Rs 40,000 after a senior official headed to the market to procure a lock to seal the premises has only brought to the fore that institutions too are in the list of big-time tax defaulters.
The incident came to light when a MMC team headed by Chief Officer Siddivinayak Naik descended on the Osia Commercial Complex on Monday as part of a drive by the civic body to rein in on the tax defaulters.
“When we entered the premises of a leading financial institution, which is also involved in insurance, the branch head could not produce the documents to prove that it is had cleared the trade dues and the rent. As we decided to seal the premises, the branch officials rushed to the civic body and cleared the dues amounting to Rs 40,000 and immediately produced the receipt which helped to save the day for the institution,” the Chief Officer said.
Another prominent financial institution, which is based in South India, has also come under the scanner of the Margao Municipal Council. When the municipal team asked the branch officials to produce the relevant documents to prove it has a trade license from the civic body, they could not produce any documents.
Immediately, a show-cause notice was serve on the branch head to appear in the municipality on Tuesday with the relevant documents or face action. MMC officials informed that they are being given to understand that this particular institution has been operating in the Osia Commercial Complex since the last couple of years. “We will verify the documents of the institution before cracking a whip. For the moment, the institution could not produce the lease agreement entered into with the owner of the Osia management,” informed an officer.
Instances galore have surfaced where many outside traders, who have taken rented business premises, have failed to pay the one-month’s rent along with the trade license fee to the municipality.
Meanwhile, MMC officials said that the Chief Officer is pursuing the file in respect of the Pantaloon showroom at the Osia Commercial Complex. All eyes are focused on the Pantaloon showroom as the civic body had claimed that the showroom has been in operation for around two years now without clearing the trade license fee and the rent. CO Siddivinayak said the municipality does not derive any sadistic pleasure by cracking a whip against the business establishments, but said the traders should clear all dues of the civic body.
