Ulhasnagar: The Ulhasnagar Municipal Corporation (UMC) has directed a private company to settle property tax arrears amounting to nearly Rs 35 crore. This decision follows an investigation by a probe panel that revealed the company's taxable area had been undervalued by more than 70% over the past six years.
Inquiry Ordered into Civic Officials
UMC Commissioner Manisha Awhale has ordered an inquiry into the roles of civic officials and has halted payments to the firm responsible for the assessment. The probe committee was established after allegations of large-scale tax concessions were raised by district BJP president Rajesh Vadhrya.
Findings of the Probe Committee
According to the committee's findings, a private firm appointed by UMC, Kolbro Company, recorded 23,15,402 square meters as the taxable area of Century Rayon, a major industrial unit employing over 5,000 workers, over the last six years. However, a fresh survey conducted by another private agency determined the taxable area to be 78,44,751 square meters.
Srikant Gore, Vice President of Human Resources at Century Rayon, stated that the company has already settled its tax dues. He added, "The tax department conducted another survey without our consent. The fresh demand notice is incorrect. We have challenged it in court."
