Will visit every doorstep to expedite pending tax collection: Atin Ghosh

Kolkata: Deputy Mayor Atin Ghosh will be going to the doorsteps of citizens to speed up the collection of pending taxes. Ghosh was handed over the charge of the Assessment Collection department on Tuesday.

"I have gone to every single doorstep to create massive awareness against vector-borne diseases like dengue. The same model will be followed in tax collection. There is still Rs 4,700 crore tax pending and we will try to mop it up quickly," Ghosh told reporters after sitting on the Deputy Mayor's chair for the first time.

Sources said that Ghosh has instructed the concerned officials of his departments to write the name of the officer along with the date on top of the files as soon as they reach his table.

"This will be helpful in monitoring delay, if any, on the part of any officer in dispatching of files," the sources said.

Ghosh said he will also take steps to simplify the process of depositing property tax through unit area assessment (UAA). "People will also be informed that if somebody wants to pay property tax using the old method, it will also be accepted," he added.

It may be mentioned that KMC had introduced UAA in April 2017, but a good number of people have been unable to properly understand the process of submitting tax through the same.

There are a total of 2.75 lakh assessees under KMC but till March this year, only around 50,000 people had paid their taxes through UAA.

"An unnecessary scare about the new property tax calculation method has kept assessees from embracing the new method. We need to put an end to this irrational fear and for this, we are taking all measures," a senior official of the Assessment department said.