BHUBANESWAR: With 2023-24 financial year about to end in three months and collection of property/holding tax not even touching 30 per cent of the fiscal target, the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) has started issuing demand notice to major defaulters.
A BMC official said holding tax collection of the corporation has remained Rs 29.9 crore, which is only 26 pc of the target of Rs 115 crore set for the 2023-24 fiscal.
He said the present collection doesn’t even meet 50 pc of the minimum revenue BMC has to collect from holding tax in the current fiscal. “This minimum demand is Rs 84 crore and the present collection works out to only 35 pc of it,” he said. The official said this has emerged as a major challenge as the civic body, keeping in view various development works, has already decided to enhance its budget by another Rs 290 crore in 2023-24.
Owing to the poor collection of holding tax, the corporation has now decided to send demand notice to all major defaulters by January 15. Municipal commissioner Vijay Amruta Kulange said the civic body with the help of TPCODL and other agencies will also carry out survey to identify traders who are not paying holding tax.
“Besides, awareness drive will be carried out including on Bhubaneswar.me portal urging traders and households to update about their holding area and pay the actual rate in time. Action will be initiated against those using their property for commercial purpose but are not sharing the details with the civic authorities tax,” he warned.