It is being alleged that under pressure exerted by media baron Aveek Sarkar, the mayor Sovan Chatterjee has caved in and converted Rs 6 crore that Royal Calcutta Golf Club owes the civic body by way of property tax to the civic body to a measly Rs 6 lakh.
Media honcho Aveek Sarkar has been <g data-gr-id="44">captain</g> of the RCGC from 2004-14, and presently one of the most influential members of the club's executive committee.
The KMC had imposed a property tax of Rs 7 crore ( since 2006). Club authorities contested this in court and paid Rs 1.5 crore to the civic body. KMC authorities then went hammer and tongs after the club authorities and served them a legal notice. Civic officials <g data-gr-id="38"><g data-gr-id="60">even even</g></g> pasted a notice inside the club premises on the outstanding property tax dues owed to KMC.
At this <g data-gr-id="59">juncture</g> RCGC approached the Calcutta High Court seeking relief. The HC refused to intervene in this tussle between the KMC and RCGC. RCGC authorities then wrote to the powers that be in KMC seeking an out-of-court settlement. In the <g data-gr-id="58">letter</g> they requested that all property tax dues since 2011 be waived. Furthermore, they also sought a reduction in the annual property tax being imposed, pointing out that the club had 38 water bodies and a mosque within its premises.
On <g data-gr-id="47">basis</g> of that <g data-gr-id="48">request</g> KMC authorities ordered a reassessment of RCGC’s property tax dues.
In a sudden change of <g data-gr-id="46">heart</g> the KMC pegged the revised property tax dues at Rs 6 lakh from the Rs 6 crore it had stated earlier.
This has set tongues wagging in city's political circles. Political observers point out that Aveek Sarkar may have used his clout to arm-twist the mayor Sovan Chatterjee.
Earlier Sarkar had set his sights on setting up a <g data-gr-id="55">five star</g> hotel in RCGC in collusion with real estate dealer. In his bid to push through the <g data-gr-id="53">project</g> he put pressure on the Mamata Banerjee dispensation to modify land ceiling laws. Mamata refused to budge. It is believed that Sarkar has sought a sweat equity in the hotel project. Many senior members of the club including former chief justice of Uttaranchal, Barin Ghosh opposed the move. <g data-gr-id="51">Finally</g> the hotel project fell through.
Questions are being raised on what prompted mayor Sovon Chatterjee to lower the property tax so drastically. Political observers aver that constant pressure and a sustained negative media campaign to target the TMC government may prompted <g data-gr-id="50">mayor</g> to cave in.