MARGAO: The Margao Municipal Council is set to crack down on all un-assessed and unauthorized structures, including slum areas, in its jurisdiction.
The government-appointed agency will soon begin the survey, utilizing a Geographic Information System (GIS) to identify these structures. The survey is expected to commence in May and is being undertaken in phases, with the slum areas of Moti Dongor, Azad Nagri, and other pockets of slums being scanned in the first phase. While these areas are marked under the rehabilitation scheme, the premises will be brought under the tax bracket.
The survey will address the much-discussed issue of un-assessed premises, numbering in the thousands, and is expected to increase revenue for the Margao Municipal Council. Citizens have been demanding for some time that all un-assessed premises, including slum areas, be brought under the tax bracket. The issue became particularly contentious when the civic body attempted to increase the sanitation fee by nearly 50%, resulting in citizens protesting and demanding that all un-assessed premises be taxed.
Gurudas Pilarnekar, Director of the Directorate of Municipal Administration, stated that the survey will not only help the government assess structures but will also generate significant revenue for the Margao civic body. The survey is expected to take approximately three months to complete due to the sheer size of the jurisdiction of the municipality. The survey will help tap revenue leakages and track unauthorised structures, ensuring tax efficiency.
Manuel Barretto, Chief Officer of Margao Municipal Council, said that the civic body will support the government-appointed agency in carrying out the GIS-based survey, which he believes will help the municipality recover lost revenue. Shockingly, the Margao Municipal Council continues to offer all types of services, including garbage collection, to unauthorised and un-assessed premises without charging them a single rupee, resulting in significant losses for the municipality.
However, the GIS-based survey offers hope to concerned citizens in Margao, as it is expected to put a system in place to assess tax efficiency and track unauthorized structures. The government is considering replicating Panaji Smart City works in 12 urban local bodies in the state, for which it has initiated the process of preparing master plans.
