MAPUSA
The Mapusa Municipal Council (MMC) has come under scrutiny from the Director of Accounts for its failure to collect house tax from a significant number of builders, commercial establishments and influential individuals in the town.
An audit report covering the period from 2018 to 2023 highlighted that the council neglected to take appropriate measures to recover various taxes, particularly house tax, which is a major source of revenue.
The audit revealed that an outstanding sum of Rs 3.47 crore in house tax remains uncollected.
Over the five-year period, the percentage of house tax collection declined from 49 per cent to 45 per cent, as of March 31, 2023.
According to the report, several prominent builders, including Saldanha Developers, Satt Adhar Builder and Boshan Developers, owe substantial sums in house tax.
Government corporations such as Kadamba Transport Corporation Limited (KTCL) and the Law Secretary of Goa are also listed among the defaulters.
The report further named influential individuals, including Francis D’Souza, Dayanand Narvekar and Rajmi Rajesh Narvekar, as having defaulted on tax payments.
Other defaulters include the Goa Football Association, which has a ground in Duler, and Cine Alankar Rao Brothers, with unpaid house taxes running into lakhs of rupees.
Director of Accounts, Dilip Humraskar, who signed the audit report, stressed the need for urgent action to recover these arrears, along with penalties, from the defaulters.
“Efforts are required to be made to collect the balance arrears along with penalty from the defaulters, and compliance should be reported to the audit,” the report stated.
The audit also pointed out that the MMC has failed to conduct a reassessment of house tax, despite several years having passed since the last assessment.
Under the Goa Municipal Act, 1968, the procedure for tax recovery is clearly outlined.
Section 145 mandates the serving of bills for outstanding amounts, while Section 146 requires a Notice of Demand if the default continues for 15 days.
If the defaulter still fails to pay, a warrant should be served under Section 147 after a further 15 days.
Despite previous audit reports raising concerns about non-compliance with the Municipal Act’s recovery process, the council has not adhered to these legal provisions.
Additionally, the audit found that key registers, including those for house tax, trade tax, and signboard tax, are not being properly maintained by the municipal body.
The Director’s report has urged the MMC to promptly address these issues and ensure that the necessary steps are taken to recover the outstanding dues, thereby improving the financial health of the council.
