VMC issues notices to 19 advertising agencies

Vadodara: Desperately looking to raise revenue, the Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) had gone strongly after persons whose property tax was overdue. But in the process, it seems to have overlooked other dues that it needs to collect.
It has come to light recently, that the civic body had not recovered around Rs 4.5crore due to it towards rentals for hoardings in the city. Those who are yet to pay the civic body include some of the biggest players in outdoor advertising in the city.

Officials in the civic body said that notices had been issued to 19 advertising agencies to recover amounts due from them.

Against this, the civic body has been after overdue property taxes since January itself. Sources said that two of the biggest players in the field together owed around Rs 3crore to the civic body.

According to sources, the amounts had piled up since at least four months now. “I have joined only recently and am not aware for the reasons of the delay. We have adopted a strict posture now and will ensure that the money is recovered,” said VMC’s land and estate officer (commercial) Suresh Tuver.

He added that besides issuing notices, the agencies were also given strict warning to pay up the pending amounts or the civic body would take strict action. “They have agreed to pay up the pending amounts at the earliest,” he said.

The civic body has already recovered a bulk of property tax due to it. Only overdue taxes below Rs 10,000 are now remaining.

This has left little scope for raising large amounts through taxes for the current financial year. It will have to ensure that other charges and payments like the fees for the hoardings due to it are settled at the earliest.