Curation Team
PANCHKULA: Despite having over 1 lakh registered property tax assessees, only a little over 24,000 property owners in Panchkula paid the levy for the current financial year by the July 31 deadline, official data reveals.
The local MC expected to collect more than Rs 155 crore in property tax, but only Rs 6.62 crore has been received so far, exposing a massive gap between the number of taxpayers and assessees, as well as projected revenue and actual collection.
No rebates are applicable after the July 31 deadline and defaulters are liable to pay interest on the unpaid principal amount.
The MC is still struggling to recover a substantial amount from tax defaulters, which includes both Haryana govt departments and private property owners. The civic body has not been successful in collecting the dues because of poor enforcement and follow-up. Sources said the department’s efforts have largely been restricted to issuing notices, with little to no action taken beyond that. Such a passive approach has left the civic body financially strained, affecting its ability to fund civic infrastructure and services.
The sources said govt departments account for a major chunk of the pending property tax.
