MARGAO
Perhaps for the first time in recent years, the Margao Municipal Council has recovered house tax amounting to Rs 1.77 crore from December 5 last till date, with the Chief Officer Johnson Fernandes setting a recovery target of Rs five crore by the end of the financial year.
That’s not all. The MMC has also recovered Rs 57 lakh rent arrears from Bharat Petroleum and is expecting Hindustan Petroleum to pay up another Rs 27 lakh by way of rent to the civic body in the coming days.
Addressing the media in the presence of Chief Officer Johnson Fernandes and Vice-chairperson Tito Cardozo on Wednesday, Chairperson Babita Angle Prabhudesai said MMC which was lagging behind in revenue recoveries is moving ahead, thanks to the Chief Officer. “The municipality has recovered around Rs 1.77 crore since December 5 till date. The CO has managed to put the revenue recovery drive on the right path,” she said.
The CO was all praise for the staff engaged in the arrears recovery work and in view of the feel-good factor in the corridors of the civic body, Babita said she would get a proposal approved at the council meeting to provide incentives to those involved in the recovery.
The Chairperson said the municipality has got the petroleum companies pay the rent arrears running into lakhs of rupees, which have been due to the civic body since 2008.
“I have been personally negotiating with the petroleum companies since the last seven-eight months. Our negotiations have finally borne fruit with Bharat Petroleum making a payment of Rs 57 lakh and Hindustan petroleum agreeing to clear the arrears amounting Rs 27 lakh,” she said.
She further said the petroleum companies have now all agreed to pay a revised rent, adding that the municipality will execute new three-year lease agreements with the companies after the agreements are vetted by the Director of Municipal Administration.
The Chairperson said the ongoing survey to map the number of existing commercial establishments doing business in the heart of the commercial capital with or without trade license is almost complete, exuding confidence that the municipality’s revenue will rise manifold once the survey report is implemented by the council. “We had come out with a single-window scheme for establishments operating without trade license. The response has been poor, but people can still apply and regularize their businesses though the temporary permissions will not grant any legal status on the entities,” she added.
On the fate of MMC’s decision to ban plastic bags in the city, the Chairperson said the council will implement the decision only after issuing proper notices and after providing alternatives for the citizens.
