Two days after Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) launched the interest waiver scheme on property tax on October 1, the civic body on Saturday mopped up over Rs 1.1 crore from four major defaulters who made the payments.
One of the four applicants on Saturday handed a cheque of Rs 50 lakh to KMC board of administrators chairman Firhad Hakim. Another defaulter paid Rs 22 lakh in demand draft.
Besides filling specified forms for the waiver, which will be available at the assessment collection department at the borough level, those interested can pay online through the KMC portal or civic app. Those who will apply physically, specified format will have to be submitted at treasury counters, e-Kolkata citizen service centres or at the unit offices of KMC assessment collection department.
According to the scheme, 100% interest and penalty on outstanding property tax will be waived if dues are cleared within February 28, next year. But if a property owner fails to apply within the date, he/she will be entitled to 60% interest and 99% penalty on outstanding amount. This facility will continue till May 31, 2021.
The civic body will also offer instalment facility to applicants. However, for those who will apply for instalments will need to clear the entire dues within the scheme deadline of May 31, 2021.
According to the rules, an applicant who wants to avail of the scheme, will need to visit the KMC assessment collection department offices to receive the demand notice. The applicant can then pay the outstanding amount and get the benefits. Hakim said the scheme was planned to offer relief to defaulters, who were so far not paying because of the huge rate of interest and penalty levied on the actual amount due to non-payment of taxes on time.
“We may lose some revenue because of the cent percent waiver of interest but at the same time, we will bring more property owners within the tax net. This way, our revenue will get augmented,” Hakim said. A KMC revenue official said the civic body would get tough on a section of major defaulters, who would still not take advantage of the current waiver scheme and cough up the dues.
