Now, the shaken up and jolted Property Tax Department authorities mainly by the Nagpur Today report, and, diktat from the NMC boss, subsequently carried out a survey of Rajat Heights flat schemes on Saturday and Sunday. The survey, too, triggered a mess of sort as the Property Tax Department levied the Tax from the year 2006 and the flat owners and shoppers refusing to pay the tax from 2006. The flat owners and shop owners defiantly asserted that they would pay the tax from 2009 only as their registries ware made in 2009 itself. However, the builder Kishore Rai contradicted the claims of flat owners and said the registries were prepared in 2006 itself. The builder had paid tax on open land only.
Nagpur News: A report flashed by Nagpur Today headlined: NMC King, his “clowns’ turning a Nelson’s eye towards Kishore Rai’s “No Property Tax Tricks” with bitter truth words “the chief of Rai Group is not paying Property Tax and Water Tax in crores in connivance with King Shyam Wardhane, and his “near and dear one” officials for years together thus putting the cash-starved NMC at a staggering loss, created ripples in NMC circle with NMC Commissioner ordering the concerned authorities to carry out a thorough probe into the nasty episode.
The episode deals with Rai Group chief Kishore Rai who constructed a 7-story Rajat Heights flat scheme near Hotel Heavens on Koradi Road. The construction of the flat-cum-shop scheme began in 2006 and abruptly completed in 2009. The builder Kishore Rai has not paid Property Tax since 2006. However, at that land the builder has constructed not only one but two 7storied flat schemes. The first building facing Koradi Road consists of 128 flats and 140 shops and the second building has 68 apartments. All the flats and shops have been sold.
However, if one were to calculate the Property Tax even at the rate of Rs 500 from 192 flats and 140 shops since past 7 years, the amount stands at Rs. 11, 62,000 apart from Water Tax amount Rs. 1,74,000 for having no water connections. This is a staggering loss to NMC. Moreover, for those having no water connection , an order has been issued to recover Water Tax with 40 per cent penalty instead of 15 per cent from this year.
Now, the shaken up and jolted Property Tax Department authorities mainly by the Nagpur Today report, and, diktat from the NMC boss, subsequently carried out a survey of Rajat Heights flat schemes on Saturday and Sunday. The survey, too, triggered a mess of sort as the Property Tax Department levied the Tax from the year 2006 and the flat owners and shoppers refusing to pay the tax from 2006. The flat owners and shop owners defiantly asserted that they would pay the tax from 2009 only as their registries ware made in 2009 itself. However, the builder Kishore Rai contradicted the claims of flat owners and said the registries were prepared in 2006 itself. The builder had paid tax on open land only.
However, the dispute over period of levying Property Tax is certainly blow up and snowball into a major battle between the NMC Department and the flat-owners and shop owners. The builder and the Property Tax Department have created a hell of a situation which is likely to take the shape of a monster.
When contacted by Nagpur Today, S R Shende, an official of Aasi Nagar Property Tax Department, said “The NMC has directed the flat-owners and shop-keepers to pay the tax from 2006 when the scheme was ready for possession. The builder Rai had paid the tax for the open land till 2006. Now, the residents and shoppers would have to pay the tax from 2006 itself,” Shende said.
However, a flat-owner, Suresh Patil said, “The flat-owners and shoppers have decided to pay the tax from 2009 only. Moreover, the builder Kishore Rai has and is not providing the basic facilities despite several requests, orally and in writing also. The police, too, had visited the Rajat Height flat schemes after they read or came to know the harassment of flat-owners and the shoppers at the hands of the builder Kishore Rai. The police were also informed about the registries and no basic facilities provided by the builder. Moreover, Shende never took the tax matter seriously even after visiting the flat schemes thus creating the dirty situation on Property Tax front, “ Patil claimed.
The survey, after the NMC Commissioner Shyam Wardhane’s orders, was done by Aasi Nagar Property Tax Department officials Sr Shende, Dodke and other employees. However, Gangadhar Rewatkar, Chief of the Laxmi Nagr Zone was also present during the survey. Rahatekar is the same officer who has utterly failed in his own Zone as far as the Property Tax recovery and assessment issues are concerned thus putting the NMC at losses in crores.
However, one most disturbing fact of all episode of Property Tax and the survey would 100 per cent prove a futile exercise. Nothing, nothing, and nothing will emerge positive as everything has been “set up.” This is only a mega show othe part of NMC.
– Rajeev Ranjan Kushwaha(rajeev.nagpurto
