The city corporation has adopted strong punitive measures against people reluctant to pay property tax.
The civic body is pushing hard to cross 90% of the target by the end of the financial year, which is approaching fast. It had achieved 87% of the target at the end of the last financial year.
At present, 59% of the target has been collected and collection of arrears stands at 29%.
The corporation’s revenue department sealed 152 buildings in the last two weeks and they were opened after pending property taxes worth 3 crore were collected, an official said. “Eleven buildings, which owed 4.30 crore, were sealed. Eight drinking water connections were disconnected for pending taxes worth 67.88 lakh. An underground drainage connection was disconnected for pending payment worth 9.98 lakh,” he said.
Proceedings against wilful defaulters will continue, corporation commissioner M Prathap said. He urged residents to pay the pending taxes promptly to avoid action.
The civic body has deployed vehicles fitted with public address systems to warn defaulters, the revenue department official said. “Property tax is the major revenue for the civic body and a target of 350 crore has been fixed for the current financial year. Professional tax, vacant land tax and revenue through rent are the other major revenue. Water and underground connections charges are also being collected,” he added.