Chandigarh: Property owners need to pay tax to retain water connections
CHANDIGARH: Defaulting residential properties of Chandigarh are all set to lose their water connections. The MC has identified and sent around 250 notices of water disconnection to violators in different areas.
The property tax department has tied up with the public health wing of the engineering department for the action. So far, most notices have sent to the northern sectors.
Action will be taken in other sectors in line with the compilation process of the defaulter notices. Most of the notices have been sent to defaulting properties from sectors 2 to 24. A few properties from Sector 38 West are also there.
Sources said that tax defaulters have been given sufficient time to pay their dues. If they fail to pay, the engineering department will start snapping water connections without further notice or intimation.
“Some defaulters have started depositing money with the authority but they are less in number. Out of around 250 notices served to residential properties, around 25 to 30 defaulters have deposited the amount, while the remaining are yet to make the payment.
Our motive is just to earn tax revenue and not penalise anyone, therefore sufficient time is being given to pay. If anyone has a query, they can consult MC employees and officials concerned. The defaulting amount runs into over Rs 1 crore.”
During the rebate period of two months, in April and May, the authority had given 20% rebate on residential properties of the city, while 10% rebate was announced on commercial properties. After the two-month rebate period, defaulters of property tax will have to pay 25% penalty charges on the entire property tax amount. Subsequently, they have to pay 12% interest on the same to the civic body authority.
When asked, municipal commissioner Anindita Mitra said, “Property tax payers were given sufficient time during the rebate period and now they have been asked to pay the tax amount. The residential property tax defaulters will have to lose the water connection, if they fail to pay the tax amount.