Officials from Ranchi Municipal Corporation, alongwith a band of musicians and a group holding banners showing ‘Bakaya tax ka bhugtan karein, aadarsh nagrik bane’ and similar messages, arrived at Roshpa Tower in Main Road to compel tax defaulters to pay their dues.
last Saturday, the urban local body released a list of biggest holding tax defaulters in Ranchi and gave them a 48 hour deadline to clear the dues or notify RMC about reasons for their failure to do so, with band parties and banners urging non-payers to pay their taxes.
This drive begin from Roshpa Tower (Holding Number – 757/E) on Thurday afternoon, whose owner Roshan Kumar Surin had the highest pending holding tax amount to his name, amounting Rs14,21,775.24.
“This is the amount Roshpa Tower has to pay as holding tax, including interest at the rate of one per cent, for the duration of first quarter of 2011-12 to fourth quarter of 2014-15. Holding tax payable after that is yet to be assessed for the structure,” stated Akhtar Haq, Zonal In-charge.
“The use of music bands is meant to make holding owners aware of their duties as taxpayers. This drive is focussed on generating revenue for RMC which can then be utilised in our projects for the people of the state,” said Project Manager Vishal Bhaskar.
And the decision has been effective too, as 18 out of 24 notified holding owners have already submitted their pending taxes. “We received holding taxes till Wednesday, even though the deadline ended on Tuesday. Some defaulters are paying their taxes now, as we are conducting the music band drive here,” stated RMC’s Assistant Executive Officer Ramkrishna Kumar.
Out of the Rs33.66 lakh RMC was supposed to receive from tax defaulters, it
has already collected Rs15,36,890.82. Defaulters who will not pay their taxes even after the awareness drive will have their properties attached and auctioned.