In yet another sloppy work on revenue collection, Mapusa Municipal Council (MMC) failed to recover licence fee for mobile phone towers from various telecom operators and property tax from owners who let out land or building to cellular companies, leading to arrears of Rs 23 lakh.
MAPUSA
Worse still, the council did not have an approved fee structure and guidelines for issuing NOC/licence for erection of mobile phone towers in its jurisdiction.
The Accountant General in his audit report said MMC did not recover the applicable licence fee from the telecom companies and failed to renew the licences periodically at applicable rates/fees.
“Failure to levy and collect licence fees from 22 mobile phone operators and renewal fees from 16 companies led to arrears in collection of revenue to the tune of Rs 7.15 lakh for the period 2011-16,” the auditor said. Further, the audit report stated that the council had directed the property owners who let out land or building on rent to cellular companies to deposit property tax on the rental income, at the rate of 10 percent of the annual rent, but it failed to collect the arrears till date.
“The arrears in collection of revenue from this source touched Rs 16.48 lakh as of March 2016,” the report said.
According to Section 323 of the Goa Municipalities Act, 1968, cellular phone service providers/companies need to obtain permission from the local body to erect mobile phone towers and pay a fee for the licence.
The local body then issues No Objection Certificate and licence to cellular operators for erecting towers in its jurisdiction. The audit report stated that Mapusa Council had issued 39 licences for mobile towers as of March 2016.
“A survey conducted by Mapusa Council in October 2013, however, revealed that permission for erection of mobile phone towers were not sought in 22 cases and towers were erected without obtaining NOC/licence,” the audit pointed out. Further, it was found that in 16 cases licences were issued for erecting towers but it was not renewed annually with applicable fees.
The audit observed that the council levied and collected construction licence fees from cellular operators but did not have an approved fee structure and guidelines for issuing NOC/licence for erection of mobile phone towers in its jurisdiction.
