City

BMC ‘Mela’ On Holding Tax, Trade & Food Licence In Bhubaneswar From Feb 27

Bhubaneswar: The Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) will organise a ‘mela’ to help the residents of the city pay Holding Tax and apply for trade and food licence under one roof from February 27.

The mela to be organised at different places across the city will continue for over one month till March 28 to give everyone enough time to clarify the queries or doubts.

The BMC will put up stalls in the mela where five DEOs, 2-3 persons from SHGs of the ward, Ward Officer and Miscellaneous Sarkar will be engaged to ensure visitors get their queries solved.

Following is the schedule of the mela:

VSS Nagar Kalyan Mandap for Ward Nos 4,5,10,11,17,18,19, 20 on February 27 and 28
Chandrasekharpur Kalyan Mandap for Ward Nos 1,2,3,6,7,8,9,16, 21 from February 5 to 7
Niladri Vihar Ward Office for Ward Nos 12,13,14,26 from February 12 to 14
Day Care Centre, Rental Colony for Ward Nos 15,22,24,25,27,37,38,39 on February 27 and 28
Community Centre, Unit-VIII for Ward Nos 46,47,48,50,51,52,62 from February 5 to 7
Day Care Centre, Aigania for Ward Nos- 23,49,63,64,65,66 from February 12 to 14
Saheed Nagar Kalyan Mandap for Ward Nos 28,29,30,34,35 from February 27 to 28
BMC Jatri Niwas for Ward Nos 31,32,33,34,42,43 from February 5 to 7
Badagada Kalyan Mandap for Ward Nos 44,45,55,56,57,58 from March 12 to 14
Dakshinchandi Kalyan Mandap for Ward Nos 54,59,60,61,67 from March 19 to 21
Ward Office, Ward No-36 near Kar Clinic for Ward Nos 36,40,41 53 from March 26 to 28

“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 licence should visit the mela to avail the services in a quick and hassle-free way,” said Srimanta Mishra, Deputy Commissioner (Revenue), BMC.

Meanwhile, the BMC’s revenue collection as of January has remained Rs 24 crore against the target of Rs 90 crore 2020-21 financial year. The holding/property tax collection has suffered due to the outbreak of COVID-19 in March last year.

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.