Unpaid Taxes Despite Repeated Notices
Several prominent government properties, including Raj Bhavan, the Chief Minister’s residence, and Bijapur Guest House, owe crores in building tax to the Garhi Cantt Board. Despite multiple notices, the overdue taxes remain unpaid, impacting the board’s ability to pay staff salaries and pensions.
Breakdown of Outstanding Dues
- CM Residence: ₹85 lakh pending since 2009.
- Raj Bhavan: ₹10 lakh still due out of a total ₹23 lakh.
- Bijapur Guest House: Over ₹20 lakh unpaid.
- FRI (Forest Research Institute): Divided among FRI, Centre Academy State Forest, and Indira Gandhi National Forest Academy, with ₹2.63 crore billed to FRI and ₹2 crore to the other institutions.
Impact on Development and Essential Services
Due to the lack of tax payments, developmental projects in the cantonment area have been stalled. The Garhi Cantt Board’s budget constraints are affecting essential services and infrastructure improvements.
Pending Dues on Health and Irrigation Departments
- Premnagar Joint Hospital: ₹58 lakh outstanding under the Health Department.
- Irrigation Department’s Water Mill: ₹2 lakh pending.
Conclusion
Garhi Cantt Board CEO Harendra Singh emphasized ongoing communication with the concerned departments to resolve the issue. However, timely payments remain a challenge, severely hampering the cantonment’s functioning.
This situation underscores the need for efficient tax recovery to ensure the smooth functioning of public services and infrastructure development.
Read also :AIIMS Rishikesh implements Hub-and-Spoke Model to ensure continuous Cancer Treatment
