Govt depts not paying property tax in Mohali

MOHALI: The Mohali Municipal Corporation MMC which has started sealing private properties of property tax defaulters found itself hapless when it came to collecting tax from government departments

Updated At : 07:18 AM Sep 15, 2015 IST

The NIR and Women Wing in the Punjab Police building, Phase VII

Tribune News Service

Mohali, September 14

The Mohali Municipal Corporation (MMC), which has started sealing private properties of property tax defaulters, found itself hapless when it came to collecting tax from government departments.

Sources said no government department, running their offices in huge buildings in the town, had paid property tax to the MMC, so far. The Greater Mohali Area Development Authority (GMADA), which has paid tax of PUDA Bhawan (the building in which GMADA runs its office) is the only exception.

The defaulters included the Punjab Police, the Punjab School Education Board, the Punjab Rural Development and the Panchayat Department, the Punjab Mandi Board and the Mohali Golf Club. Even the DC Complex (the old building of Punjab School Education Board), which houses the offices of Mohali Deputy Commissioner, Additional Deputy Commissioners, Senior Superintendent of Police, Superintendents of Police, District Transport Officer, Subdivisional Magistrate and other senior administrative officials has not paid the tax.

Sources said these departments had not paid since the imposition of property tax here, last year. The total outstanding amount against these departments is said to be over Rs three crore.

The Punjab Police, which occupies at least 10 buildings, including the Punjab State NRI Police Wing at Phase VII, the Punjab State Cyber Crime Police Station at Phase IV, the EO Wing at Phase VI, the Vigilance Bureau police station at Sector 68, the Police Lines and at least four police stations, have not paid any property tax, so far.

When asked, Nayan Bhullar, the Joint Commissioner of the MMC, said that these departments were being served notices.

“Notices are being sent to defaulters (government departments). In case of further delay, next course of action will be initiated as per law”, said Bhullar.

She further said the MMC had issued over 10,000 notices to defaulters, including private property owners so far. “The process of issuing notices is on. Over 250 such notices are being signed by me daily”, added Bhullar.

The MMC has also started sealing properties of defaulters of last year.