New Delhi, March 6 (NationPress) In an effort to enhance revenue collection, the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) has announced that its property tax collection counters and tax office will operate on Saturdays and Sundays throughout March, according to an official statement released on Thursday.

The NDMC manages approximately 15,600 properties within its area, which includes around 1,600 government-owned properties and about 14,000 private ones.

Out of these, 1,000 properties are exempt from taxation. By mid-February 2024-25, the council has collected Rs 807 crore from 9,600 taxable properties, with the deadline for tax submission for the financial year set for March 31.

The NDMC aims for a target collection of Rs 1,150 crore for property tax in 2024-25, a rise from the Rs 1,030 crore gathered in 2023-24.

According to official records, around 3,200 taxpayers have failed to remit taxes totaling approximately Rs 200 crore over the past three years, despite receiving multiple reminders. Consequently, the NDMC has issued reminders and show-cause notices, urging these individuals to pay their dues promptly or face coercive measures.

As per NDMC regulations, a 30-day show cause notice has been dispatched to 380 defaulters, after which further reminders will be sent. Should there be no response or payment within the given timeframe, the Council may initiate actions such as property attachment, sealing, or account attachment.

To aid taxpayers and allow them more chances to engage with tax officers, the NDMC’s Tax Department located at Palika Kendra on Sansad Marg and three Tax Collection Counters at various locations, including Gole Market, R.K. Puram, and Sansad Marg, will be open on weekends, excluding any Gazetted Holidays.

These NDMC Collection Counters will also accept payments from residents, service users, and consumers of electricity and water in the NDMC area for their overdue electricity, water bills, and estate property dues.

An official commented, “All service users and citizens in the NDMC should avoid the last-minute rush and plan their property tax, electricity, water bills, and estate dues payments ahead of time.”

He added that residents, taxpayers, and service users in the NDMC jurisdiction can also make payments online.

The NDMC area forms the heart of the city, representing the historical imperial Delhi established in 1911. It encompasses the Government of India headquarters, government and private housing, the city’s Central Business District, and numerous institutional areas, characterized by wide streets, parks, and gardens.

Approximately 28 sq km of the overall 42.74 sq km area of NDMC is occupied by the planned city of ‘Lutyens New Delhi’. Within this region, around 22.3 sq km is designated as the Lutyens Bungalow Zone, which has stringent regulations to preserve the height of buildings and maintain the historic character of other structures.