Facing a huge burden of more than Rs 2,000 crore as outstanding property tax, the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) today offered a fresh waiver on the interest and penalty on the outstanding amount.
Mayor Sovan Chatterjee told reporters after a Mayor-in-Council meeting that the civic body has decided to waive 50 per cent of the accumulated interest amount and 99 per cent of the penalty amount levied on outstanding property tax.
"The scheme has been introduced from today and we expect defaulters will be encouraged to pay their outstanding property tax, taking the benefits of the waiver facility," said Chatterjee.
In another decision, the KMC decided not to levy any taxes on open spaces alongside multi-storied buildings.
"Earlier, multi-storied buildings and also other buildings in the city had to pay taxes for open spaces with their limits like those of walkways, parks, gardens etc. Now, no taxes will be levied on area beyond the Floor Area Ratio (FAR) consumed," the Mayor said.
Chatterjee also said he had held a meeting with the state Chief Secretary, transport department secretary and senior police officers and the KMC would very soon restructure the parking system in Kolkata.
"The Chief Minister has asked us to draw a new plan for the city's parking system and we have decided today that we will come up with a new plan by the next seven days.
"Taxi parking zones, free and fee parking zones and no-parking zones will be assessed and redrawn with new signages. We will also replace the co-operative system of managing parking lots with e-tendering process where licensed parking lot vendors will participate," the Mayor said.
Meanwhile, Member, Mayor-in-Council (Health) of the civic body Atin Ghosh said the National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme director Dr A C Dhariwal would be holding a session with representatives of all government and private hospitals and nursing homes in the city on August 1 next on new techniques and treatments for vector borne diseases.
"Apart from Kolkata Municipal area, representatives of ten adjacent civic bodies will also meet Dr Dhariwal on new treatment regimes of vector borne diseases and will also be given financial assistance from National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme to set up infrastructure to control these diseases," Ghosh added.
