Nagpur: The NMC claims to be gearing up for making Nagpur a smart city, for which financial arrangement is badly needed. However, the NMC is focusing on maximum tax recovery.
But according to sources, the old record of illegal/ unauthorized constructions is missing from the property tax department of NMC. It is believed that missing of record is a deliberate act of some one (official or employee) from the department.
There are provisions for charging double the tax on unauthorized constructions as a fine. But such a fine is rarely imposed by NMC administration against unauthorized constructions. The property tax department maintains the record of all properties of the city and also of unauthorized constructions made.
In respect of unauthorized constructions, the anti-encroachment department is supplied intimation to act accordingly. But it is said that not all such files are sent to anti-encroachment department. It is alleged that anti-encroachment department acts on the discretion of the NMC administration. There are many files pending with this department, and no action has been taken, rather many unauthorized constructions are protected by self-interested authorities in the NMC.
In flat-schemes, without proper map, balconies are constructed unauthorized; and though not sanctioned in map, the additional constructions are made; despite sanction of two storeys, a third storey is constructed. The zonal officer is in the know of such irregularities, but he keeps quiet. In fact such unauthorized constructions are going on in all parts of city, but there is no one to act against them.
It is observed that the anti-encroachment department rushes to demolish the unauthorized construction of a common man, but it shows its inertia to act against heavy weights. It is only when the public representatives decry against such irregularities, the department awakens to act. The NMC is forgetting that such irregularities directly affect its revenue generation, and the target is never achieved.
