TIRUCHY: The city corporation is ramping up efforts to recover pending rent dues from commercial establishments in Gandhi Market, Srirangam, WB Road, and the Central Bus Stand areas, which officials say has been a challenging task.
So far, the corporation has collected about Rs 47 crore out of the Rs 64.24 crore target for the fiscal year. Mayor Mu Anbalagan said efforts are ongoing to collect the pending dues at the earliest. Senior officials estimate that around Rs 5.24 crore in rent arrears could be collected in the coming weeks. “We aim to complete the collection of Rs 5.24 crore by January.
Around Rs 12 crore remains tied up in legal disputes, with cases filed by traders pending in the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court. We hope these issues will be resolved in January, enabling us to wrap up collections before the next financial year,” a senior official said.
Corporation sources confirmed that notices were sent to 20 traders last month, with follow-up action planned for those who continue to default. “We expect them to clear their dues next week. If they fail, we will seal their shops and release the materials only upon payment within a stipulated time frame.
Otherwise, the materials will be auctioned, and the shop re-allocated through a bidding process,” a source added. “The corporation has already invested in constructing shopping complexes in Thillai Nagar and Marakkadai to strengthen its revenue. If merchants fail to pay on time, strict action, such as suspending licenses, should be considered,” said GK Venugopal, a trader near Gandhi Market.