Taxpayers up for a showdown
Corporation told to get dues of Central, state properties cleared
By : DC Correspondent
Update: 2014-09-04 06:55 GMT
Vijayawada: Notices sent by the Vijayawada Municipal Corporation to property owners, demanding clearance of pending taxes, has raised the hackles of citizens and the Tax Payers Association (TPA). The TPA on Wednesday asked the mayor to first seize properties of all central and state government departments that failed to pay property taxes since 1988. The association demanded that corporation should take action on the big defaulters instead of sending notices to owners who pay taxes on time.
“Where is the concept of “Equality before law” when all the defaulters are not being treated on par?” questioned TPA secretary M.V. Anjaneyulu before the media here. He said that the TPA submitted a memorandum to the mayor, demanding collection of long pending taxes and sealing of the defaulters’ (the government department) properties. Reeling out figures, Mr Anjaneyulu said that the VMC was due Rs39.43 crore in tax from offices of the Central government, state government, religious institutions, various associations, trusts and others since 1988.
State government offices alone are due Rs15,53,34,387 in taxes while Central government offices have to pay Rs1,33,69,745, the railways Rs 7,82,35,265, the highest among Central government offices, he said.Besides, private organisations, associations, trusts etc. are due another '14,74,12,465. Among these, various educational institutions are due Rs3,55,18,564.
Offices of irrigation, police, PWD, R&B, electricity, RTC, judiciary, fire, education, collector, sub-collector, state gue-sthouse, treasury, registrar are among the top defaulters, the TPA said. Meanwhile, mayor K. Sridhar said that he was doing his best to get the defaulters to clear their tax dues. He has written to ministers of concer-ned departments on the outstanding tax bills.