Trichy corporation has launched an aggressive enforcement drive by disconnecting drinking water supply to the properties of long-standing tax defaulters.
The action comes as the deadline to complete the tax collection for the ongoing financial year is nearing. So far, water supply was disconnected to around 75 properties.
Of the total tax due for 2022-2023 amounting to 351 crore, including the arrears of previous financial years, corporation has collected 153 crore, most of it from property tax.
Officials said that the corporation was supposed to collect 163 crore under property tax, including the arrears. As on February 10, 90 crore has been collected. Similarly, the total demand under the water charges is pegged at 60 crore. The local body has collected around 25 crore.
While the civic body has persuaded the property owners to pay the tax dues including under the revised property tax slab, a few properties were delaying the dues which range between 30 lakh and 50 lakh.
The revenue department displayed a poster outside the properties mentioning the dues to be remitted. If the dues were not paid further, corporation will terminate the drinking water supply connection.
“We are not taking severe measures for the delay in paying the current year’s tax dues. The disconnection of water supply and sticking demand posters were initiated against the properties that were delaying the dues for two or more financial years,” R Ramesh Kumar, assistant commissioner (revenue) said.
Lock and seal notices for properties with more than 50 lakh dues were initiated too. Commercial properties were found to be the largest tax defaulters. Corporation has collected 55% of the total tax demand and 42% of the total water charges as in February. However, the collection of non-tax revenue (rent collected from the corporation’s commercial complexes) was at its low at 14%. Only around 8 crore of the total non-tax revenue pegged at 53 crore was collected.