Paradip: Paradip Municipality has stood first in the state in collection of holding tax worth Rs 1.70 crore in 2020-21 fiscal, a report said.
The state government took note of the achievement and the state housing and urban development department felicitated the municipality at a function September 25.
However, the civic body is losing revenue worth crores of rupees by not collecting revenue from over 1, 200 houses. The inconsistency in tax collection deprives the state government of its sahre of revenue.
Reports said, there is a place in civic body area where tax collecting personnel are not interested to collect holding tax from over 1,200 buildings in the area.
The place in question is Bijaychandrapur or Tarinigada in the port town. The area houses over 1,200 buildings while construction of new buildings continues.
The tax officials collect holding tax from only 573 houses in the area while leaving aside the rest of the houses.
When contacted, Sarada Mahali, a holding tax collector, said they are not collecting holding tax from the rest of the houses as these establishments lack any sale deeds or Patta.
This is because the district administration has imposed restrictions on sale and purchase of land in Bijaychandrapur mouza since 2016.
However, some people taking advantage of the situation adopt fraudulent means to sell and purchase land in the area. The tax collectors collect tax from those houses that have been either sold or purchased before 2016.
Moreover, the civic body has not conducted any survey for holding tax collection in the port town for 13 years even though rules have it that all residential buildings and establishments must be surveyed once in every five years.
The state urban development department had conducted a survey for the last time in 2008.
The civic body had twice written a letter to the urban development department urging it to conduct a survey but the pleas are yet to be addressed, Duryodhan Nayak, law officer of the civic body said.
Sourindra Kumar Routray, executive officer, said those who are liable to pay tax are delaying but those who lack proper records are eager to pay tax.
Several industries have come in Paradip. This has led to a sharp rise in land prices. Many peopl are looking for loopholes to regularise their illegal constructions.
Currently, 55 illegal slums and colonies have mushroomed at Bijaychandrapur, Musadia, Uday Vihar and Lockpada areas of the port town.
PNN
