Thiruvananthapuram: Technopark, one of the premier information technology destinations in the State, is facing action by the city corporation for evasion of property tax.

The civic body has issued notice to the park authorities to submit building plans for tax assessment.

Nineteen of the 23 blocks housing software firms and BPO (business process outsourcing) companies within the Technopark campus have not been assessed by the corporation for property tax.

This has enabled them to evade the tax net for up to six years. The campus falls within the Attipra zone of the corporation.

A corporation official said the Technopark management had not submitted building plans despite receiving the notice. Since the buildings were constructed by the Public Works Department with Government approval, they were exempted from the need for a licence from the corporation.

"It is, however, mandatory for the management to submit the plans with a completion certificate for tax assessment by the local body. If they fail to do so within a reasonable period of time, the corporation can even declare the buildings unauthorised and initiate legal action," he explained.

Officials confused

Councillors say the claim of special zone status for the software units within the campus may have confused officials, leading to the delay in taking action. Officials were also reluctant to enter the premises of the park, which enjoys Government patronage.

Deputy Mayor V. Jayaprakash confirmed that notice had been issued to the Technopark management. "Most of the buildings were built before the Attipra panchayat was merged with the corporation in 2000. We will have to assume that the officials were misinformed," he said.

`Wrong signal'

Mayor C. Jayan Babu said separate notices would be issued to Technopark-based companies that had bought land. Councillors are of the opinion that permitting profitable ventures, such as software firms, to dodge the tax net would send out the wrong signal.

The Mayor is convening a meeting of Technopark officials later this month for a negotiated settlement. The meeting will also discuss the environmental problems caused by reclamation of wetlands for the Technopark campus.

People's grouse

Residents in the Kuzhivila and Kulathur wards, bordering the Technopark campus, allege that the land development had blocked the natural drainage of water, leaving roads and residential areas waterlogged. They also accuse software companies of discharging wastewater into a neighbouring canal.

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