ULHASNAGAR: Under the Abhay Yojana run by Ulhasnagar Municipal Corporation for property taxpayers, people paid property worth more than Rs 16 crores in a single day on Thursday. Thursday was the last day for a 100 percent discount on interest on property tax under the Abhay Yojana scheme.
On Thursday, a large crowd was seen at the Municipal Corporation office to pay taxes. Property tax defaulters will get the benefit of this scheme till March 18, in which a 75 to 50 percent rebate will be given on interest on property tax.
Under this Abhay Yojana, which started on February 22, the tax department of the Municipal Corporation succeeded in collecting property tax worth Rs 42 crores in 11 days. UMC set up camps at many places in the city to help people take advantage of this scheme.
UMC’s tax assessor, Neelam Kadam, said that under this scheme, there are about 8 such big property holders who did not pay property tax for many years. We made them pay the tax too, including the famous Amar Dye Company, which paid Rs 7.7 crores. Apart from this, ESIS Hospital paid 1.49 crores, and a private bank paid 1.02 crores.
The UMC appealed that the property tax holders who have not paid the dues should take benefits of this Abhay Yojana scheme running till March 18. Otherwise, in the coming days, UMC Commissioner Manisha Awhale made up her mind to take strict action against tax defaulters who will not pay their taxes.
It may be recalled that property tax is the biggest source of funds for any civic body, through which the civic body works for the development of the city. The UMC is already facing a shortage of funds in the absence of proper property tax collection, which has dues of over Rs 900 crores in property tax.
If sources are to be believed, then UMC’s Commissioner was not in favour of the Abhay Yojana scheme since it is an injustice to genuine property tax holders who pay their tax on time, while tax defaulters who pay taxes late take advantage of such a scheme by getting a rebate in late fee interest. However, on the request of political leaders, UMC implemented this scheme for citizens in the city.
