In a recent update, Chandigarh Municipal Corporation (MC) has hit the headlines by serving notices to as many as 2000 defaulters all over the City, on their property tax dues. The move is in the effort to launch increased campaign to ensure people pay their taxes and to increase the amount of revenue collected. Using a tedious tax audit process, MC officials have discovered the defaulters and they are now firmly dealt with; either by sealing their properties as well as initiating legal action which can expose them to nasty jail term in case they fail to make payments in time. The action has been eyed in the local news media as a breakthrough in enhancing the financial wellbeing and civil structure of the city.
The spread of the crackdown news has generated a burst of reaction by residents and owners of commercial properties. It has called upon all the stakeholders to check their status in case of tax and make sure to liquidate any outstanding taxes to ensure that they are not hit by a penalty by the MC. Towards end of the financial quarter, the corporation has increased the number of inspections and enforcement activity to achieve the revenue targets. Though this has been received by the large number of citizens as bringing about more accountability on the government side, others want a bit more time and a bit more clarity in instances where the assessment is in controversy or where some records are not available.