Bidhannagar Corporation to fine property tax defaulters

Kolkata: Bidhannagar Municipal Corporation has decided to impose fines on property tax payers if they fail to pay tax within the stipulated date.

According to the officials, from now on, property tax bills will be sent to the owners early. They will be given sufficient time to submit the amount. Sources informed that the bills for the upcoming 2019-2020 financial year will be sent by May.

If any resident fails to pay the amount within the given time, then a fine of 25 percent of the tax amount will be imposed on the resident per year. If anyone has been a defaulter for a few years at a stretch, then the corporation might attach the property. According to the officials, this provision is present in the Bengal Municipal Act.

But as the plots in Salt Lake are not freehold, the Urban Development department will be informed to take necessary action against the defaulter.

On Wednesday, Mayor of Bidhannagar, Sabyasachi Dutta, said: "The decision has already been taken in the board meeting. The provision is there in the Bengal Municipal Corporation Act. In case of Salt Lake, steps will be taken as per the provisions in the law."

According to BMC officers, since the inception of Bidhannagar Municipality, property tax was assessed by the municipal authority.

A team from the Property Tax department used to inspect the holdings and asses the tax amount.

Later, it was converted to the self-assessment method. Residents were asked to declare the area of property with some other details voluntarily to fix the property tax amount.

To fix the tax amount of the next financial year, the municipal authority will follow the previous data. No new assessment will be done.

A Mayor in Council Member of the present corporation board said: "We had a lacuna that we were unable to send the Property Tax Bill to the residents on time. There was no fixed time in the year to send the bills. Now, it has been decided we will send the bills as early as possible. Residents will be given sufficient time to pay the bills."