MARGAO: Margao Municipal Council Chairperson Dr Babita Prabhudessai while revealing that the council will get around Rs. 3 crores as taxes from only three commercial buildings in the city admitted that the taxation department has practically collapsed and needs a major overhaul. She was however silent when asked whether MMC proposes to collect rent from the traders in Margao.
She said that during a random inspection it has been noted that banks and financial institutions are paying a meagre Rs 8000 as tax that was fixed some 16 years ago and opined that the council should get around Rs 3 crore from the business houses in these three complexes.
Chief Officer Sidhivinayak Naik said the three complexes inspected were Osia Complex, Ranghavi Building and Reliance Trade Centre and he said around 41 business establishments did not have the municipal trade licence.
Even as Dr Babita appealed to people to come forward to register for trade licence and offered the help of the council officials and staff Sidhivinayak threatened to launch a combing operation within 15 days so that each and every establishment in these three complexes are registered with the council.
“I feel we should give them 15 days or one month to complete all formalities especially as we are now approaching the Ganesh festival season,” she said.
He said that around 60 per cent of the defaulters had not bothered to respond to the communication from the MMC asking for additional documents and admitted that the taxation department also failed to follow up on the matter.
While Dr Babita had no answer to the question why Pantaloon mall at Osia Complex is not registered, the Chief Officer said he had just received the file. It was pointed out that Vishal Mart was paying the council Rs. 22 lakhs per annum as rent while Pantaloon has not paid anything even though as per the calculations it was supposed to pay Rs 13 lakhs.
The council is supposed to receive one month’s rent from the traders who carry out business in rented premises. Most of the businesses in Margao are run by non-Goans in rental premises and the council has till date not collected any money as rent from them.
When asked about this Dr Babita was silent even when it was pointed out that the council was getting Rs 22 lakh as rent amount from Vishal Mart and how much more it would have got from others.
