With revenue collection deadline looming, Tiruchy corporation issues notice to 8,000 defaulters in a month

TIRUCHY: With the current financial year drawing to a close by the end of the month, the Tiruchy city corporation in its bid to meet the revenue collection target has served notices between February 1 and March 4 to about 8,000 people who have defaulted in tax payments for the past three years and more.

With about 1,600 commercial establishments figuring in the list, steps are underway to attach their properties in the event of further non-compliance, senior officials said.

As of date, the revenue collection target for the civic body is Rs 357 crore, which includes the fine amount for defaulting on payment. Of this, about Rs 173 crore has been collected so far.

Speaking about the special drive that commenced in January to collect pending revenue from various cesses such as property tax and water tax, a senior corporation official said, “Initially, we focused mostly on those who owed more than Rs 1 crore to the corporation. Now we have started taking action on more defaulters. We hope they would cooperate and pay bills at the earliest.”

Further, sources said that the corporation has informed some commercial establishments that they would seal their property if they continued to ignore its notice for payment of dues.

They, however, also pointed out that it’s not just shopping complexes but shops like those on Sub-Jail Road near Gandhi Market that owe the civic body dues to the tune of over Rs 1 crore.

In the case of the shops on Sub-Jail Road, the dues are about Rs 3.5 crores, they said.

An official said, "Last month, we disconnected UGD (Underground Drainage) connections of some of the defaulting shopping complexes. We also disconnected the water supply to some residents. We would soon seal some of the commercial establishments if they fail to pay our bills."