KMC to conduct door-to-door campaign for property tax collection

Kolkata: The Assessment department of Kolkata Municipal Corporation will strengthen its door-to-door campaign in the city for collection of property tax. The collection has not picked up its desired pace even after the introduction of the waiver scheme on October 3.

"We have asked our inspectors to work beyond office hours for these two weeks and go door-to-door in all the wards to make people aware of the waiver scheme so that they cough up property tax. They will also inform people that legal action can be taken against those who owe huge amounts of tax. The last date for application to avail facilities of waiver scheme is December 31," said a senior KMC official.

Member of Board of Administrators in KMC Atin Ghosh, who is in-charge of Assessment department of the civic body, held a meeting with all concerned officials of the department in this regard.

Tax collection from South and North Kolkata — that accounts for the bulk amount — has been far less than the demand of Rs 2,000 crore. Over 15,500 tax payers have applied for waiver till date.

The officers have been asked to ensure that at least Rs 1000 crore is collected from South and North Kolkata. The minimum target of collection from the entire Kolkata is Rs 2,500 crore.

The complete waiver on penalty and interest is

effective till February 28

next year and the defaulter has to pay only the principal amount.

The persons, who have received their bill by March in the last financial year, will be entitled to derive benefit of the waiver scheme.

There are 5 lakh odd taxpayers. Out of them, 400 are major defaulters from whom the civic body owe Rs 1500 crore before the introduction of waiver.

The tax collection had nosedived drastically during the lockdown period particularly from March to May.

The collection at the end of May stood at Rs 30 crore against Rs 300 crore during the corresponding time last year.