The Municipal Corporation (MC) of Mohali initiated a stringent crackdown on Wednesday, targeting prominent private commercial and industrial establishments with significant pending property tax dues. The enforcement drive, aimed at boosting revenue collection, saw immediate action against high-profile defaulters, creating a wave of urgency among property owners across the city.
Sealing Panic at WWICS Headquarters
Under the directives of Municipal Commissioner Parminder Pal Singh Sandhu and supervised by nodal officer Dr Sanjeev Kamboj, a special MC team arrived at the office of a leading immigration consultancy firm, WWICS, to seal the premises. The sight of MC vehicles triggered immediate panic among the company's staff and management.
The officials instructed employees to vacate the property to commence the sealing process. Despite fervent appeals and requests from the company's management to stop the action, the MC team remained firm. They clarified that no leniency would be shown without the clearance of the outstanding tax amount.
Faced with the imminent threat of a sealed office, the management of WWICS relented. The company eventually deposited nearly Rs 4 lakh towards its pending property tax liabilities. Following this payment, the Municipal Corporation officials suspended the sealing action at the site.
Drive Intensifies, Revenue Collection Spikes
Emboldened by the action at WWICS, the MC team continued its drive across the city. Similar sealing proceedings were carried out at Chawla Publication in Phase 8B and several other properties identified as major defaulters.
The aggressive stance had a palpable impact. As news of the sealing drive spread, many other property owners rushed to clear their dues, often making immediate payments via RTGS transfers to avoid similar action. Officials reported a significant surge in daily revenue collection, attributing it directly to the strict measures.
MC Commissioner Parminder Pal Singh Sandhu stated that the corporation has set an ambitious target of Rs 55 crore for property tax collection by March 31, marking the end of the current financial year. He expressed confidence that the ongoing enforcement campaign would not only help meet but potentially exceed this target.
"The special drive launched against old defaulters has been completed successfully," Sandhu said. He highlighted that action taken on January 7 against commercial and industrial units alone resulted in the recovery of approximately Rs 22 lakh. The Commissioner warned that such strict action against defaulters would continue in the coming days.
Allegations of Unequal Enforcement Against Government Bodies
While the MC has adopted a no-nonsense approach towards private entities, questions have been raised about its apparent soft stance on government departments. Allegations have surfaced that several major government bodies, including GMADA (Greater Mohali Area Development Authority), owe crores of rupees in pending property tax.
Critics and residents point out that despite these substantial dues, no concrete sealing or recovery action has been initiated against these government departments. This perceived unequal enforcement has led to demands from the public for a uniform policy. Citizens are urging the Municipal Corporation to apply the same rigorous standards to all defaulters, irrespective of whether they are private companies or government entities, to ensure fairness in tax recovery.
The recent drive underscores the MC's renewed focus on fiscal discipline but also highlights the ongoing challenge of implementing rules uniformly across all sectors.
