The municipal corporation has made record collection of property tax amounting to Rs 33.36 crore during the 2022-23 fiscal. The civic body had set a target of Rs 22 crore for the fiscal but managed to earn Rs 11.36 crore in excess.
MC commissioner Navjot Kaur said that the civic body earned record Rs 33.36 crore as property tax from defaulters by March-end. Taking this as base, MC has proposed collection of Rs 33 crore in the 2023-24 fiscal.
She said, “Budget of property tax for the current financial year is Rs 22 crore, approved by the government and collection is Rs 33.36 crore till March-end. The budget target has been achieved. It is a record achievement for MC Mohali. Last year till the same period, collection was only Rs 14.25 crore, which this year, is commendable.”
She said that this year, MC sealed defaulter units, which forced commercial property owners to deposit pending property tax.
She also said that the MC put up property tax collection camps at MIA Bhawan Industrial Area and community centers of sectors 61, 69 and 70, making it easier for people to pay property tax.
This March, Mohali MC had allocated Rs 28 crore as property tax collection target, but the Punjab local bodies department imposed a cut of Rs 25.2 crore in the budget for the 2022-23 fiscal. MC had proposed Rs 27 lakh surplus budget of Rs 161.27 crore, which was after the cut, was reduced to Rs 136.07 crore.
However, MC is still to collect Rs 13 crore property tax from defaulters in Mohali. The list of defaulters also includes Greater Mohali Area Development Authority (Gmada) and DC office.
The police department has paid its dues. Gmada owes Rs 6.5 crore and DC office owes Rs 2.75 crore as property tax to MC Mohali. MC also issued a “demi official” letter to Gmada and DC office for recovery of property tax, said MC commissioner Navjot Kaur.
“Government buildings in Mohali are major defaulters of property tax as all such establishments owe approximately Rs 12 crore to the municipal corporation. We have finally issued a demi official (DO) letter to the deputy commissioner office and Greater Mohali Area Developmental Authority (Gmada) for default in depositing property tax,” she said. Altogether, the MC is to recover around Rs 13 crore property tax from 7,826 defaulters, including residential, commercial, industrial and government-owned buildings.