Bhubaneswar: The Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) will organize a ‘mela’ or fair to help the residents of the Capital City in paying or assessing Holding Tax and applying for new Trade License and Food License under one roof in a hassle-free and smooth manner.
The mela will be held at different places across the city for over one month to give everyone enough time in addressing their queries or doubts in regard to payment and assessment of Holding Tax, applying Trade License and Food License. The month-long event will begin from Saturday i.e 27th February and will continue till 28th March.
As per the schedule, the mela will be held at VSS Nagar Kalyan Mandap for Ward Nos- 4,5,10,11,17,18,19, 20 on February 27 and 28. For Ward Nos- 1,2,3,6,7,8,9,16, 21 and for Ward Nos – 12,13,14,26, the programme will be held at Chandrasekharpur Kalyan Mandap and Niladri Vihar Ward Office from February 5 to 7 and February 12 to 14 under North Zone of the Civic Body.
Similarly, the mela will be organized at Day Care Centre, Rental Colony for Ward Nos- 15,22,24,25,27,37,38,39 on February 27 and 28. For Ward Nos- 46,47,48,50,51,52,62 and for Ward Nos- 23,49,63,64,65,66 the mela will be held at Community Centre, Unit-VIII and Day Care Centre, Aigania from February 5 to 7 and February 12 to 14 respectively under South-West Zone.
Likewise, in the South-East Zone, the Civic Body will organize the programme at Saheed Nagar Kalyan Mandap for Ward Nos- 28,29,30,34,35 from February 27 to 28. For Ward Nos- 31,32,33,34,42,43 and Ward Nos- 44,45,55,56,57,58, the mela will be held at BMC Jatri Niwas and Badagada Kalyan Mandap from February 5 to 7 and from March 12 to 14 respectively.
The Holding Tax, Trade License and Food License mela will be held at Dakshinchandi Kalyan Mandap and Ward Office, Ward No-36 near Kar Clinic for Ward Nos- 54,59,60,61,67 and Ward Nos- 36,40,41 53 from March 19 to 21 and from March 26 to 28 respectively.
“We urge everyone who have doubts or queries regarding holding tax payment or assessment, and those who wish to apply for new trade license and food license should visit this mela in large numbers to avail the services at one place in a quick and hassle-free way. It is a unique initiative, hence property owners should clear deposit their holding tax at the mela ,” said Shri Srimanta Mishra, Deputy Commissioner (Revenue), BMC.
The BMC will put up stalls in the mela where five DEOs, 2-3 persons from SHGs of the concerned ward, Ward Officer and Miscellaneous Sarkar will be engaged to ensure visitors get their queries solved in a smooth way.
The revenue collection as of January has remained only Rs 24 crore against the 2020-21 target of Rs 90 crore. The holding/ property tax collections have suffered this financial year due to outbreak of COVID-19 in March last year.
The Civic Body has decided to go after the 804 big defaulters, who have not paid tax for more than a year. The total pending tax in BMC jurisdiction stands over Rs 43 crore.
The tax reassessment in different wards will come into effect retrospectively from April 1, 2019. The tax is being calculated at the rate of 17.5 per cent of the annual value of the building taking into account 0.5 per cent of the benchmark value of the property as of April 2019.
Besides, the BMC has engaged TG Swikruti self-help group (SHG) for door-to-door collection of holding tax from the big defaulters. The transgender members of the SHG are visiting owners of the establishments where holding tax dues have exceeded Rs 25,000.