Sangli civic chief wants staffers to pay property & water taxes, submit receipts

Kolhapur: Satyam Gandhi, the civic chief of the Sangli Miraj Kupwad Municipal Corporation, has directed around 1,400 employees, including officiers, to pay their property and water taxes and submit receipts to his office by Feb-end.Clarifying that no employee should be found evading taxes, Gandhi said the move aims to instil a sense of responsibility and encourage people to pay dues on time before the financial year ends on March 31."It is not that the officials or other civic employees evade the taxes, but I want them to feel responsible. Finally, they get their salaries and pensions from the taxes paid by residents. It is for the employees to realise that they eventually depend on the municipal corporation. It will also evoke a positive response from the common citizens who will end up paying the taxes on time," Gandhi told TOI.Property tax is the corporation's main revenue source. So far, Sangli Miraj Kupwad Municipal Corporation has collected Rs 75 crore, the highest in the past five years, and expects the figure to reach Rs 85 crore by March-end.In Dec, the civic body issued notices to defaulters, warning of property sealing. Following the action, many cleared their dues. The corporation also brought 6,000 new properties under the tax net this year."Though March 31 is the final day before which the taxes should be paid, I have asked the employees to pay property taxes before Feb-end," Gandhi said.