The reopening of shops in Unlock 1.0 has allowed the Chandigarh municipal corporation to start sending bills for commercial property tax.
Since this is a period of tax rebate, the MC hopes to collect a good amount of money. An MC official said: “When shops were closed, the property tax bills were sent only to the residential areas. For timely bill delivery and to avoid issues of non-receipt, we have tied up with the postal department.”
Sources in the MC said as e-sampark centres had also reopened, it was easier for people to deposit their bills. Consumers can also submit their bills online. When e-Sampark centres were closed due to curfew and strict lockdown, the MC received payment through the online mode only.
A few weeks ago, the MC decided to give a rebate to the property tax payers of both commercial and residential categories till July 31. For residential property owners, the concession was 20% over the entire due amount, while for commercial property owners, the discount was 10%. After the end of the rebate period, tax payers of both categories will have to pay 25% penalty with 12% interest.
The civic body has a record of more than 1.10 lakh property tax payers, of which nearly 85,000 are in the residential category, while 26,000-odd are in the commercial segment. The MC targets to make Rs 50 crore revenue from property tax in this financial year.