Curation Team
KOLHAPUR: The municipal corporation on Saturday sealed 25 shops with unpaid rent arrears since 2015. The action carried out under police protection was against property tax, water tax and rent defaulters from the city.
The civic body’s estate officer Vilas Salokhe said, “Several shopkeepers owed rent to the KMC for their shops owned by the civic body in several commercial markets of the city since 2015. Separate notices were issued to these shopkeepers regarding the payment of pending rent, but we received little response from the shopkeepers.”
On Saturday, action was taken against 25 such shopkeepers from Kapiltirth vegetable market who did not pay rent despite notices. “The shopkeepers were instructed to pay the rent immediately. By 4pm, Rs15 lakh was recovered from the defaulters,” added Salokhe.
Kolhapur Municipal Corporation (KMC) officials also sealed the properties of five property tax defaulters. Property tax amounting to over Rs15 lakh was due from these five defaulters.
Citizen Facilitation Centers (CFC) in the city on the same day witnessed a heavy rush of people who visited to pay their due bills before March end. The CFCs were kept open till late night to cater to the large number of visitors.
Meanwhile, KMC’s water supply department recovered an arrear of Rs2.9 crore from the Central Railway. An action to disconnect 3 tap connections to Kolhapur railway station due to an outstanding bill from the railway administration was initiated. The due amount was recovered from the railway department.
KMC water supply engineer Harshjit Ghatge said, “The tap connection of 785 outstanding and unauthorised holders in urban and rural areas has been disconnected by the department. On behalf of the KMC, if the due amount is paid in one lump sum, a 50% discount scheme has been announced till March 31. Under this relief scheme, an amount of Rs13.6crore has been recovered from about 25,456 beneficiaries. Citizens have been urged to avail this benefit of concession by the end of March 31.”
