Tutikandi ISBT may lose power, water connections

The Shimla Municipal Corporation is set to issue the final notice to the Interstate Bus Terminus (ISBT) management for not paying Rs 6.33 crore property tax. According to the notice, the municipal corporation will be disconnecting electricity and water supply connections of the ISBT for the non-payment of the property tax. The ISBT management has to pay a sum of Rs 6,33,31,840/- as property tax.

In July, the municipal corporation had issued a final notice to the ISBT management under Section 121 of HPMC Act 1994 in which the corporation had directed the ISBT management to pay the outstanding property tax by August 31, said Bhupinder Attri, Shimla Municipal Commissioner.

Attri said that it was decided at the recent monthly meeting of the house that a final notice will be issued to the ISBT management to deposit the pending property tax, after which stern action will be initiated against them for non-payment of the tax.

The issue was raised by Kangana Dhar councillor Ram Rattan in the meeting of the corporation held in August. He had raised a question as to what action would be taken against the defaulter in case of non-payment of tax.

The bus stand is being operated under the Public Private Partnership (PPP) mode since 2011. Located in Tutikandi, the ISBT houses various shops, a movie theatre, eateries, hotels besides a bus stand.