MARGAO
Margao Municipal Chairperson Damu Shirodkar on Friday disputed the statistics that the outstanding tax arrears of the civic body were pegged at around Rs 35 crore.
Incidentally, the statistics were submitted by the MMC to the Goa State Finance Commission during the hearing on the municipality’s finances, wherein the officials had claimed that the tax arrears are hovering over Rs 30-odd crore.
He, however, said the MMC’s initiative to deploy the municipal market inspectors for recovery has yielded excellent results, with the team recovering around Rs 17 lakh in a short period. He also said the Margao municipality's recovery officer is recovering with his team and has called up taxpayers, who are presently holed up in the Gulf countries, to pay the arrears.
“I will not be able to give the media the exact amount of outstanding tax arrears. But, I am sure the tax arrears are certainly not Rs 35 crore as is being published in the media,” he said, without realising that the MMC had dished out the statistics to the State Finance Commission just a month ago.
The MMC chairperson, who will be completing one month at the office next week, however, conceded that around 40 per cent of the business establishments are operating in the commercial capital without the mandatory trade licences.
“We have decided to bring all these establishments under the tax net in near future,” he added.
Stating that he does not believe in setting targets and deadlines, Shirodkar said the Rs 17 lakh recovery in a short time is a big achievement, as he complimented the staff for the initiative.
The Margao Chairperson, however, expressed concern over the fact that around Rs 38 lakh municipal fund is being spent every month on the daily wage workers.
“I am taking stock of the situation on how the council is spending a huge amount on the daily wage workers and the returns the civic body has got from these workers,” he said.
Saying there is no room for indiscipline in the council, Shirodkar told the media that he has issued strict instructions to the section heads to mark the employees absent who do not report for work as per the working hours.
