Tribune News Service

Patiala, May 24

The Property Tax Department of the Municipal Corporation (MC) is going soft on collection of last year’s pending and this fiscal’s property tax due to the ongoing pandemic.

The civic body was not able to collect the estimated amount of property tax due to the pandemic last year. This year too the pandemic has affected tax collection.

Taking a lenient view the MC is not sending notices to property owners despite delay on their part in depositing tax dues.

Earlier, the MC had planned to collect Rs23 crore tax during last fiscal. This includes property tax and its arrears and house tax arrears. Till December 2020, the MC managed to collect only Rs11.23 crore.

The total tax realisation by the end of last year was estimated at Rs14.43 crore.

Civic body officials said tax collection was affected due to the pandemic induced lockdown, which reduced earnings of households and property owners.

“Taking a lenient view due to the prevailing situation it has been decided not to send notices to people for depositing their property tax dues as their businesses have been affected by the pandemic,” said Raminder Singh, superintendent, Property Tax Department.

The MC was sending reminders to people to deposit their tax, he added. “Those, who can manage finances, may deposit their tax dues. We can’t force public to pay tax during pandemic,” he said.

Many shops had downed shutters and rented accommodations were lying vacant in the city due to the pandemic, he added.