MARGAO
Why have successive Margao Municipal Councils and the powers that be dragged its feet in imposing house tax and garbage fees on hundreds, if not thousands of illegal and unassessed houses, dotting the commercial capital when the government circulars empowered the civic body to bring the illegal structures under the tax net?
Is it because the political lot has treaded a cautious path not to burden the vote banks with doses of taxation fearing loss of support or simply they had no will to mop up the additional resources in the interest of the civic body and the city?
Madgavkars and Fatordekars may seek answers to these unanswered questions from the city fathers, political parties and leaders controlling the A Class Municipal body over the years amidst the raging debate over the MMC plan to effect a 50 per cent hike in garbage fees on sincere and honest tax payers.
For, government notifications and circular sent to the Margao Municipal Council in the recent past had all empowered the civic body to bring the illegal houses and structures under the tax net.
If incumbent Margao Municipal Chairperson Damu Shirodkar heading the BJP-ruled Margao Municipal Council does not stop citing the October 1, 2020 government notification to justify the hike on garbage fees by 50 per cent, is the civic chief or the political patrons controlling the Council unaware that the same government notification empowers the civic body to tax the illegal houses and structures.
In fact, a glance at the October 1, 2020 notification, which is repeatedly cited by MMC Chairperson Damu Shirodkar to justify a 50 per cent hike in garbage fees clearly shows the notification contains a provision to bring the illegal and unassessed houses under tax net.
The notification vis-Ã -vis the illegal and unassessed houses reads like this: “The Council shall charge user charges even for unassessed houses, units, hawkers, and businesses operating without trade licence and this shall serve only as service charges towards collection of waste and shall not confer any legal right or status to them.”
That’s not all. A government circular dated February 6, 2018 issued by the Director of Municipal Administration had authorised the Chief Officers of Municipal bodies to keep strict vigil in their respective Municipal areas to curb the mushrooming illegal structures.
By the same circular, the government had conveyed to all the Chief Officers that the government was pleased to grant permission to all Municipal Councils for assessing the illegal structures existing within their respective jurisdiction as on 31.12.2012 to impose house tax.
This circular brings to the fore the moot question whether the Margao Municipal Council had initiated any exercise to bring the illegal and unassessed structures under the tax net. Its five years since the government had issued the circular in February 2018. Again, the MMC had received a reminder last year on July 16, 2022 reminding the civic body to enforce the 2018 circular and other circulars on taxing the unassessed structures.
October 1, 2020 notification
The Council shall charge user charges even for unassessed houses, units, hawkers and businesses operating without trade licence and this shall serve only as service charges towards collection of waste and shall not confer any legal right or status to them.
February 2, 2018 circular
All the Chief Officers are directed to keep strict vigil in their respective municipal areas so that mushrooming of illegal structures are curbed. Further, it was conveyed to all the Chief Officers that the government was pleased to grant permission to all Municipal Councils for assessing the illegal structures existing within their respective jurisdiction as on 31.12.2012 to impose house tax.
