In view of the spread of novel coronavirus (COVID-19), the Municipal Corporation of Dehradun (MCD) has decided to keep the property tax section closed to the public. The corporation has also extended the period of 20 per cent rebate on property tax which was slated to end on March 20.
On Thursday, several taxpayers arrived to pay their property tax at the MCD but the section was kept closed to the people.
The officials of the corporation said that approximately one thousand people have been visiting the property tax section daily for the tax submission in the last few days which can prove to be a health risk in the current scenario. According to deputy municipal commissioner Rohitash Sharma, the property tax section was closed after MCD received the State Government’s advisory concerning the epidemic of coronavirus in the State.
These days most of the people come to deposit property tax , therefore, the tax section will remain closed till March 24 to regulate the number of people in the MCD building, said Sharma.
On being asked about the last date for the submission of property tax, Sharma said that Dehradun mayor Sunil Uniyal ‘Gama’ decided to extend the period of 20 per cent rebate in property tax for the locals from March 25 to March 31.
Though the tax department will remain closed, the sanitation and electricity sections will stay open for emergencies, said Sharma. He also added that people of Dehradun should submit the property tax through online mode rather than coming to the corporation, to prevent spread of coronavirus.
On being asked about the extension in the date for the submission of property tax without the period of rebate in April, Sharma said no decision has been taken yet by mayor ‘Gama’. It is pertinent to mention here that MCD had set the target of collecting the property tax of Rs 50 crore by the end of this month.
Till now, the corporation has collected about Rs 43 crore and was optimistic about achieving its target by March 31 but the chances of achieving this target might be affected by the measures being taken to prevent the spread of coronavirus