Bidhannagar civic body plans 10% penalty on property tax dues

In order to check delayed of property duty within the stipulated time frame, the Bidhannagar Municipal Corporation plans to impose a 10 penalty on the arrear property duty on an yearly base.

A huge amount of pending tax for the former quarters which the civic body is yet to collect. As per records, Rs42.1 crore is lying as unrealised property tax as on March 31, 2021 out of which Rs19.3 cr is for Salt Lake area and Rs23.1 crore is for Rajarhat-Gopalpur.

The penalty will be calculated on the total arrear tax pretenses of a year with four quarters. The civic body also wants the tax payer to pay an interest of 10 on the amountof due duty which would remain overdue with effect from the date after the expiry of 30 days from the inception of the quarter.

Officers said there has been a long standing legal distraction regarding the duty structure of Salt Lake. Due to this, it has been transferring duty bills based on the old valuation that was made in 1997, which is very low compared to the rising cost and civic services which BMC provides. Officers said the latest court order allows it to collect property tax in new rates based on the old valuation.

The new rate for those having an annual value (AV) upto Rs 999 will be — AV/100+10% of AV. For those having AV of over Rs 999, the new tax rate will be — AV/1000+20% of AV. Officials said that the new rates will be applicable only for self-occupied residential houses or flats/land.

The new rate for those having an annual value (AV) upto Rs 999 will be — AV/ 100 10 of AV. For those having AV of over Rs 999, the new tax rate will be — AV/ 1000 20 of AV. Officers said that the new rates will be applicable only for self- occupied residential houses or apartments/ land.

The civic body collected about Rs 16 crore from property tax till December 31 in the last fiscal time. With the pretenses to be collected and the new tax rate being planned to be introduced, the civic body has fixed a property duty collection estimate of Rs 25 crore for this financial time.

By LNN (Liyaans News Network)