MCB seals shop for not paying property tax

Bathinda, August 25

The Municipal Corporation Bathinda (MCB) today sealed a medical shop, SK Medical at the Hospital Bazaar area here, as the owner had failed to pay the property tax dues to the civic body.

Officials of the civic body went to seal five shops in the city. However, only one shop was sealed as others paid the dues on the spot to MCB officials.

MCB officials first went to the Hospital Bazaar where they sealed SK Medical for the non-payment of Rs 35,000 as the property tax. Later, owner of the SK Medical, paid the dues at the MCB office in the evening.

After that the MCB team went to the National Bakery, which handed over a cheque of Rs 83,500 on the spot, from there team went to Bombay Footwear in Kikar Bazaar, who also paid Rs 30,000 to the MCB.

Later, the team went to Damodar Bansal firm in Aggarwal Street and Babu Ram and Sons in cloth market, both paid Rs 7,000 and Rs 31,000, respectively.

Inspector of the MCB, Pardip Kumar, confirmed that one shop SK Medical was sealed due to non-payment of the property tax, but later, the owner paid the tax at the MCB office.

He also stated at first, the MCB issues them sealing notice in which one week’s time is given to clear the outstanding dues. Most of them made their payments but then who fails to pay the tax, their team goes to the defaulter’s property and gives them ultimatum of three more days and still if nobody pays, then the team seals the defaulter’s property.

The sealing notices are being issued by the corporation under Section 138C of the Punjab Municipal Corporation Act, 1976.

Commissioner of the MCB, Dalwinderjit Singh, said the authorities started sealing drive as people were not paying the property tax. In the beginning, there were around 11,000 defaulter commercial properties that had not paid their tax, in last three months many people have paid the tax.

He also stated that after the commercial buildings, which will end by this month, the authorities would start sealing the residential properties of the defaulters. He also appealed the defaulters to pay the tax as earlier as possible; otherwise they have to take the action. — TNS