Team Herald
MARGAO: A group of concerned citizens in Margao have raised the alarm over the issue of ‘double receipts’ for house tax payments on the same house, by the Municipal Council. The Shadow Council for Margao (SCM) pointed out that since the implementation of the revised sanitation fees, there has been a rush at the counter for house tax payments, which the SCM initially believed was due to tax payments for premises under dispute. However, inquiries and study of the matter revealed that the issue of double receipts was rampant.
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According to SCM Convener Savio Coutinho, the problem arises due to several premises in Margao that are under dispute between family members or between the owners and occupants. Each side wants to be the first to pay the municipal tax and maintain the tax receipt as a record. However, with multiple options for house tax payments, one party stands in the queue, hoping to be the first to possess the house tax receipt, while the opposing party pays the tax online.
Coutinho claimed that the Margao Municipal Council is unfairly issuing receipts to both parties, leaving neither able to seek a refund, as the receipt is often issued in the name of a person who is no longer alive.
The SCM has now urged the Margao Municipal Council to streamline its functioning and prevent such problems in the future by timely reconciling the payments made online. Staff at the tax section of the council claimed that if the double payment is brought to their attention, the additional amount paid will be carried forward for the next year. “This brings up the question as to which of the two receipts will be considered valid, creating more confusion. The council needs to take this matter seriously and fix the issue,” Coutinho insisted.
