Property tax collection surges as Chandigarh civic body gets cracking on defaulters

With the Chandigarh municipal corporation tightening the noose around property taxdefaulters (both in commercial and residential categories), the tax collection has witnessed a significant rise in the first four months of this financial year as compared to the corresponding period in 2017-18. The civic body has collected around Rs 9 crore more in taxes in first four months of 2018-2019 as compared to corresponding period in the last financial year. Records revealed that from April 1 to July 31, the MC earned a revenue of Rs 31.14 crore in property tax. Last year, the revenue from property tax from April 1 till July 31 was just Rs 21.30 crore. The civic body earned Rs 3.21 crore, Rs 20.62 crore, Rs 2.14crore and Rs 5.17crore in the months of April, May, June and July, respectively, from commercial and residential properties. In the last financial year, the MC income from property tax in April, May, June and July stood at Rs 2.56 crore, Rs 18.42 crore, Rs 76 lakh and Rs 56 lakh, respectively.