Kolkata: The Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) will urge house owners to clear the property tax dues to tide over the acute financial crunch it is facing due to the lockdown following the COVID- 19 pandemic.
From March 2019, till June 2019 KMC loss from property tax will be around Rs 450 crore. The total outstanding along with the interest will be around Rs 2000 crore.
Atin Ghosh, member, board of administrators in charge of (revenue) said: "In view of the present situation we cannot force people to pay the property tax outstanding immediately. We are trying to find out ways and means to collect the dues. We are considering a proposal to give some relief to the house owners so that they can pay the outstanding."
The lockdown has hit the KMC's coffer dearly. The fees which the civic authorities receive by giving clearance to the plans to set up new buildings have been affected very badly.
Over the years the KMC's activities to give more facilities to the people have gone up several times and to make these ventures successful money is required. Collection from property tax is a major source of income.
In the health sector the KMC has set up 15 Dengue detection centres. Urban health units have been set up in every ward. Costly medicines to treat serious ailments like diabetes and COPD are given free of cost to the people. Comprehensive schemes have been taken to ensure that drinking water is given to every nook and corner. The steps to improve the drainage system involve crores of rupees.
A senior civic official said, "KMC will negotiate with the house owners requesting to them to clear the property tax dues. There are many cases related to property tax disputes, steps have been taken for their speedy disposal."