Deadline for waiver scheme ends, KMC collects Rs 450 cr

KOLKATA: The Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) has mopped up Rs 450 crore tax and has received over 50000 applications with the deadline of application for 100 per cent waiver of property tax ending on Sunday. Amount worth Rs 9 crore was collected on Sunday with counters in the civic body remaining open till 6 pm.

"We have set a target of Rs 500 crore tax after the waiver scheme was introduced from October 3, 2020. The date of application for availing complete waiver on penalty and interest is ending today (Sunday) but the payment can be made till the end of this financial year March 31, 2020. So we are hopeful of surpassing our revenue target,"said a senior KMC official.

The KMC till the end of January had mopped up Rs 182 crore while application worth Rs 600 crore was received. So, in the month of February, the civic body mopped up Rs 268 crore.

The waiver scheme that was introduced from October 3 last year was supposed to end on December 31. The first extension was made till January 31 and it was further extended till February 28.

Sources in the Assessment department of KMC said in the earlier waiver scheme that was introduced in the year 2012, the civic body had mopped up Rs 312 crore. From March till May, the civic body will allow 60 percent discount in interest and 99 per cent in case of penalty, There are 5 lakh odd tax payers among which 400 are major defaulters against whom the civic body owed Rs 1500 crore before the introduction of waiver.