Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation to seal properties of tax defaulters

Sources said the defaulters are yet to pay a combined total of over Rs 11 crore to the civic body.
Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (Representational Photo)
Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (Representational Photo)

BHUBANESWAR: In a major move, the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) has decided to seal the properties of big holding tax defaulters and initiate certificate case against them.The civic body in its letter to the zonal deputy commissioners (ZDCs) recently has asked them to instruct ward officers concerned to file requisition in this regard. 

BMC also asked the ZDCs to instruct ward supervisors to monitor filing of these certificate cases under Orissa Public Demands Recovery (OPDR) Act-1962 and take strict action against defaulting ward officers and supervisors who fail to discharge their duty in this respect.

BMC deputy commissioner for revenue Srimanta Mishra, however, clarified that the action as per OPDR Act will be taken only against defaulting institutions and commercial establishments and there is no plan to seal individual houses. 

The action is meant only for the big institutional and commercial defaulters with pending dues of over Rs 25,000 for more than three years, he added. Sources said the defaulters are yet to pay a combined total of over Rs 11 crore to the civic body. In February, the civic body had engaged members of transgender community in the city to collect pending holding tax from the defaulters. 

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