Covid-19 has pushed up property tax arrears across all the 10 municipal corporations. According to information procured from the urban local bodies department, dues have been piling up and have now reached Rs 1,935.07 crore.
These arrears have piled up over the past three years. Lack of coordination among civic bodies, staff and enforcement agencies is being cited as one of the reasons for such a state of affairs. Even as municipal corporations of Gurgaon and Panipat have initiated the drive of sealing defaulters’ properties, results are awaited.
Sources said there are around 35 lakh assesses of property tax in 10 municipal corporations of Gurgaon, Faridabad, Hisar, Rohtak, Sonipat, Panipat, Karnal, Panchkula, Ambala and Yamunanngar.
Gurgaon tops the list with arrears worth Rs 504 crore, followed by Rs 304.36 crore of Panipat, Rs 276,50 crore of Karnal, Rs 243.93 crore of Faridabad, Rs 184 crore of Yamunanagar and Rs 164 crore of Panchkula MC. Remaining civic bodies have arrears of less than Rs 100 crore.
Barring Faridabad, Panipat and Gurgaon, the civic body had record collection of property tax. During the pandemic year, Gurgaon has been able to collect Rs 162 crore as property tax. Panchkula was the only civic body where collection crossed Rs 11 crore for the current financial year. Remaining eight civic bodies could not even collect Rs 10 crore, with Panipat and Karnal being the worst performers.
“Now, we have complete focus on recoveries. We have started sealing buildings in Gurgaon and Panipat and will start this drive in other cities as well. We hope to recover arrears by the end of the financial year,’’ said a senior officer of the urban local bodies department.
