CCC Appeal
Even as the Coimbatore Corporation is carrying out a city-wide fresh assessment of buildings for Property Tax, the Coimbatore Consumer Cause has called upon the civic body not to spare unauthorised structures, especially the ones in commercial buildings.
The consumer body appreciated the Corporation’s efforts for physical verification of all the buildings that had been evading Property Tax. “We understand that such an exercise is undertaken for the first time in any local body in the State. Already, the Corporation has detected some big buildings with huge tax evasion. We appreciate and support your efforts to identify tax evaders,” he said. On targeting specific categories of buildings, the consumer activist said there were several additional constructions that managed to evade tax. The Corporation could get crores of revenue if these were assessed.The consumer body also pointed out that people could demand their rights in terms of basic amenities only if they were honest in paying taxes. Persons evading tax should be punished.
Unfortunately, the Corporation could collect tax only for a maximum period of three years with penalty for unauthorised constructions even though the evasion was for several years. But there was no punishment for purposely evading tax. This would only encourage evasion. Hence, the Corporation could take up with the Government the need to impose a heavy penalty for evasion.Further, the Corporation could explore the possibility of demolishing such unauthorised and undisclosed constructions. The letter said one could not believe that the Corporation officials were not aware of these constructions. Accountability and punishment would ensure that such constructions were not allowed.
