Tamil Nadu - Coimbatore   

Corporation disconnects six drinking water lines

Special Correspondent

Over Rs.16 lakhs tax arrears 13 defaulters owe over Rs.16.65 lakhs in Property Tax and water charges

PENALISED: A Coimbatore Corporation worker disconnects a water line on V.K.K. Menon Road in the city on Tuesday as part of the action initiated against tax defaulters. - Photo: S. Siva Saravanan

COIMBATORE: The Coimbatore Corporation on Tuesday disconnected six drinking water lines in East and North zones to penalise tax defaulters. This was the latest in a series of similar action against defaulters across the city.

As in earlier instances, disconnection of some of the lines drove the defaulters to the tax counters in a desperate effort to pay up and avoid action, officials in the Corporation said.

Rs.34,326 arrears

They identified 13 defaulters who owed over Rs.16.65 lakhs in Property Tax and water charges. Four connections - three belonging to the same building on Avanashi Road and one in Race Course -- were disconnected.

Two connections on the V.K.K. Menon Road in the North Zone were also disconnected, as the residents owed Rs.34,326 as arrears.

Action to continue

The Corporation said the action would continue.

Even as the crackdown on defaulters continued, the Corporation said there was steady payment of taxes owing to fear of action.

Rs.5.15 crores Property Tax

From October 1 to November 15, the civic body had collected Rs.5.15 crores Property Tax and Rs.1.34 crores water charges.

The Vacant Land Tax collection was Rs.1.08 crores and Profession Tax Rs.86 lakhs. The sources said that the civic body was firm on maintaining pressure on all the 1.89-lakh Property Tax assessees so that they paid their taxes promptly.

It was also clear that each of the 89,000 connections should fetch it the targeted revenue.

Defending water line disconnection, it said unless people paid taxes promptly development works could not be taken up in their areas.

Rs.3.50 per 1,000 litres

The Corporation also was forced to generate revenue on its own for schemes than always look for loans. It was already losing heavily by way of charging only Rs.3.50 per 1,000 litres up to 50,000 litres (the starting slab) from the public for drinking water under the Siruvani and Pilloor schemes.

Rs.4.50 to Board

The Corporation paid Rs.4.50 to the Tamil Nadu Water Supply and Drainage Board.

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