NMC to impose 2% fine on water tax defaulters

NASHIK: Come April and water tax defaulters in Nashik city will have to dole out a fine of 2% per month every time they fail to pay the dues within the deadline.
The cash-strapped civic body has decided to impose a fine of 2% on the defaulters from the new financial year; it also plans to give a rebate of 1% to those who pay the taxes within 15 days of issuance of the water bill.A proposal in this connection will soon be tabled at the general body meeting of the municipal corporation.
With an aim to speed up the property tax collection, the Nashik Municipal Corporation (NMC) introduced the half-yearly property tax bills and decided to impose a fine of 2% on the property tax defaulters. The civic administration is now in the process of replicating the same formula while collecting water tax.
Speaking to TOI, an official from the NMC said, "We are planning to take some measures pertaining to water tax collection form the next financial year. We issue quarterly water tax bills to the tax holders. Generally, they are expected to pay the bills within a month after issuance of the bills, but this does not happen. Hence, we have decided to impose 2% fine on the tax payers if they fail to pay the dues even after a month's deadline post issuance of the bills. We are also introducing some incentives for the honest tax payers. The tax payers who pay their bills within 15 days of the issuance of the bills will get 1%, or even 2% rebate in the water tax bills."
"We will introduce these new measures from April 1.
Our major objective is to honour the honest tax payers by giving them tax incentives - introducing 1% rebate in the water tax bills to the honest tax payers and punishing idle tax payers by imposing a fine of 2% per month."
The NMC has set a water tax collection target of Rs 90 crore for the current financial year, but it has only been able to collect water tax revenue worth Rs 23.20 crore by December 31, against the water tax collection of Rs 13.77 crore during the corresponding period during the last financial year. The NMC has to achieve a whooping 75% of water tax collection target in the remaining three months of the current financial year.
We have decided to impose 2% fine on the tax payers if they fail to pay the dues even after a month's deadline post issuance of the bills. Besides, the tax payers who pay their bills within 15 days of the issuance of the bills will get 1%, or even 2% rebate in the water tax bills.