MARGAO
The Shadow Council for Margao on Thusday said the Margao Municipal Council needs to seriously streamline its functioning with the timely reconciliation of the payments made online.
Highlighting an interesting and peculiar situation at the Margao Municipal Council with respect to the payment of house tax, SCM Convenor Savio Coutinho pointed out that there are several premises in Margao which are under dispute between either the family members or between the owners and the occupants.
“On account of this, each of the side desires to be the first to pay the Municipal tax and maintain the tax receipt as a record. During the months ahead, the Council will realize the fact that the owners of the legally assessed premises are disturbed with the Council as it prefers to pinch the pockets of these people, while bestowing free services to the vote banks of politicians, and hence have stopped payment of house tax as a protest”, he said.
He added: “The peculiar situation about double receipts being issued is on account of multiple options for house tax payments. While one party concerning the disputed premise stands in the bee line hoping to be the first to possess the house tax receipt, the opposing party pays the tax online. But what is unfair on the part of the MMC is that both the partys are issued a receipt”.’
He said with both the Party's wanting a record by way of the house tax receipt, neither of them can seek refund, as the receipt stands issued in the name of a person who no longer exists(dead), and the MMC finally benefiting from the same. “While inquiries with the tax section claim that if the double payment is brought to the notice of the Council by any of the Party's, then the additional amount paid would be carried forward for the next year. However the million dollar question is which of the two receipts will be considered valid, Coutinho wondered.
