KOLKATA: A team of officials from the Kolkata Municipal Corporation‘s assessment department on Thursday raided Shreeram Arcade, a shopping complex a stone’s throw from the civic headquarters on SN Banerjee Road, and sealed 15 shops after serving distress warrant notices on owners who failed to clear property tax dues. The sudden civic drive caught traders off guard. As the day progressed, however, some defaulters paid part of their dues, following which their shops were allowed to reopen.
According to a KMC assessment department official, traders served with distress warrants must clear their outstanding dues by March 31, failing which the civic body will again seal the stalls and proceed with an auction to recover the amount. The official said KMC is yet to realise around Rs 5.5 crore from the shopping complex. Similar drives were also carried out in areas such as Lenin Sarani and around New Market to act against property tax defaulters.
“We will keep an eye on the defaulters who have assured us they will clear the dues. Once the deadline expires, we will have to take stern steps again to realise the unpaid taxes,” said a KMC assessment department official present during the drive at the shopping centre.
The civic official said the KMC assessment team recovered around Rs 20 lakh on Thursday from some of the defaulters whose shops had been sealed. However, the official expressed concern over the growing tendency among a section of traders in shopping complexes and markets in central Kolkata to dodge property tax.
“While traders themselves mop up good profit, they seldom remember to pay property tax on time. It can’t go on for long,” said an assessment department official. He said besides Shreeram Arcade, the assessment department was eyeing other major tax defaulters in markets adjacent to the shopping complexes, including New Market.
