TIRUCHY: The corporation's drive to collect pending revenue of Rs 147 crore is all set to enter the fourth month in a few days and the civic body has so far collected about Rs 40 crore. On an average, the civic body is currently collecting about Rs 1 crore a day and officials are expecting to collect at least 60 % of the pending revenue by August.
"We have already sent notices to major defaulters and our zonal officers are monitoring the collection every day," a senior official said. According to sources, commercial establishments are the major defaulters. "We are yet to get property tax and rent from several commercial establishments. Pending revenue from property tax revenue itself would come to about Rs 70 crore.
Similarly, there is pending rent for our buildings," a source said. With the corporation badly in need of funds for reconstructing roads and drainage systems, sources said the civic body has directed senior officials to complete the revenue collection drive at the earliest.
"In May, the finance committee of the corporation directed the officials to speed up the collection of pending revenue. At present, several roads in the city are in a damaged condition and we need that revenue to carry out repairs," a councillor said. Sources said some of the defaulters have approached the court and this has delayed revenue collection.
"Some of the major defaulters have approached the court seeking more time to settle the money. Since the matter is pending before the court, we cannot force them. In the remaining cases, we are taking action," a source said. Meanwhile, residents said the corporation should publish the list of major defaulters.
"If they made the details of major defaulters public, some of them might start settling the pending revenue. The corporation had published such a list in the past. We hope the authorities consider this. Otherwise, they are sending out a wrong message to honest taxpayers," said K Paramasivam, a resident of Anna Nagar.