SATURDAY, JULY 27, 2024
CITIZEN ROSARIO MENEZES Vasco
It has been reported that the CCP has to collect outstanding arrears of House tax and commercial taxes, to the tune of Rs 50 crore, which is putting the CCP in a severe financial crisis, to the extent that apparently employees' salaries cannot be paid in time.
It is confusing that while the report mentions House tax and commercial tax arrears, there is no mention of the more than Rs 20 crore arrears due from the thousand allegedly unauthorised occupants of the CCP municipal market, which have been outstanding for over two decades. More than 10 years ago, citizens aggrieved by the failure of the CCP to collect the arrears from the apparently defaulting unauthorised occupants of the municipal market who have not paid any rent, power water, and other charges, due for more than 20 years, approached the court seeking directions to the CCP to collect the arrears from the defaulting unauthorised occupants of the municipal market.
Indeed the High Court did issue directives to the CCP to ensure the collection of the areas from the allegedly unauthorised occupants of the municipal market.
To this date, 20 years later, it appears that none of the arrears have been collected from the apparently unauthorised defaulting occupants of the shops, as a result of which house tax and commercial tax assesses are penalised and harassed with higher taxes. Is it not appropriate that the CCP exercise its authority under the laws and rules, go after the defaulters, seal the shops of the defaulters who fail to pay up, after issuing due notice, so that the dire financial situation of the CCP can be relieved?
