HYDERABAD: Residents of Ward-8 in Secunderabad Cantonment submitted a proposal on Sunday targeting tax arrears recovery to senior cantonment and defense estate authorities. The proposal advocates for more stringent enforcement of overdue house tax collections in compliance with the Cantonments Act of 2006.
Addressed to the CEO of the Secunderabad Cantonment Board, the Principal Director of Defense Estates (Southern Command, Pune), and the Director General of Defense Estates, New Delhi, the proposal aims to address ongoing revenue collection challenges from residential property owners by establishing a systematic ward-level enforcement mechanism.
The initiative includes bi-weekly enforcement drives in each ward, entailing official field visits, issuance of statutory demand notices, collection of penalties and interest, and escalated actions against chronic defaulters. It references Sections 100, 101, 102, and 324 of the Act to articulate the legal framework for demand notices and the imposition of interest on overdue taxes, emphasizing recovery through distress, attachment, or property sale with proper authorization.
The framework suggests creating dedicated ward-level teams led by tax officers, supported by assistant tax inspectors, records or IT personnel, enforcement agents, and local ward representatives. These teams would engage with taxpayers, update arrears data in real-time, verify information, and escalate unresolved cases.
A structured 14-day operational cycle is proposed, starting with data extraction and prioritization of ward-specific arrears. This will be followed by notice deliveries and field visits, payment collections, and database updates, concluding with reporting and escalation of persistent defaulters. Continuous reporting is emphasized to ensure accountability.
The proposal stipulates a penalty structure correlating with the duration of defaults, including the issuance of statutory notices after 30 days, the application of interest from days 31 to 60, final demands from days 61 to 90, and potential coercive measures like warrants or service disconnections after 90 days, pending Board approval.
Effective communication with residents is highlighted as crucial, promoting the use of the e-Chhavani portal for online payments to enhance compliance and reduce administrative strain. Additionally, it suggests the implementation of data-driven monitoring through ward-specific dashboards to track arrears, collections, and penalties.
