the goan I network
MARGAO
Tax defaulters, owing Rs 25,000 and more to the Margao Municipal Council, now face the bitter prospect of power and water disconnection for non-payment of dues, which is pegged at around Rs 1-5 crore.
The defaulters, numbering around 300-400, have been set a deadline of 15 days to clear the dues or they stand the risk of their names figuring in the Margao Municipal website, in respect of non-payment of trade license, house tax and rent.
Margao Municipal workers have fanned out to the Municipal wards to serve notices on the individual households. While a copy of the notice has been individually served on the tax defaulters, copies of the notice have also been sent to the PWD as well as the
Power department for disconnection of their water and power supply in the event of the failure to clear the dues within the time-frame.
Chief Officer Sidhivinayak Naik was blunt in saying that the exercise to force the tax defaulters to pay the tax dues will be taken to the logical conclusion. The Chief Officer says the Civic body will be richer by Rs five crore if the ongoing exercise turns out successful. “Our rough estimates have revealed that around 300-400 households across the city falls within the bracket of tax defaulters, each defaulter individually owing Rs 25,000 and more dues to the Civic body. The Civic coffers will be richer by Rs five crore if the tax defaulters clear the dues”, Naik said.
Sources in the know informed that a number of business establishments, including financial institutions such as bank, also figure in the list of tax defaulters. Sources said the Chief Officer has drawn up plans to hold hearings for the big time tax defaulters before cracking the whip.
A confident Sidhivinayak, who was instrumental in recovering crores of rupees tax revenue after taking over the reigns of MMC office over a year ago, said the Civic body will go about initiating action against the erring households and establishments will commence after the set deadline.
