Mohali, 30 January 2025: The Municipal Corporation (MC) of Mohali has issued sealing notices to 14 commercial property owners who have repeatedly failed to clear their outstanding property tax dues, officials said on Wednesday.
These defaulters, identified across Phases 1, 2, 3B2, and 6, include prominent jewellery showrooms and other businesses that have not paid taxes for several years.
The action follows multiple notices issued by the civic body over the past two months, with an initial list of over 200 defaulters being narrowed down to the most persistent offenders.
“These 200 commercial property owners were given ample time to clear their dues, yet 14 of them ignored repeated notices. Sealing notices have now been sent, and legal action will follow,” a senior MC official said, adding that commercial tax defaulters owe the civic body crores in unpaid dues.
Government Departments Among Defaulters
Besides private businesses, several government departments have also accumulated long-pending property tax dues, exceeding ₹6 crore in total.
The Greater Mohali Area Development Authority (GMADA) is the largest defaulter, with outstanding dues of around ₹5 crore. Other departments with pending payments include:
Public Works Department (PWD): ₹3 lakh
Excise and Taxation Department: ₹2 lakh
Commando Complex: ₹1 crore
Crime Branch: Over ₹2.5 lakh
Labour Department: ₹3 lakh
An MC officer mentioned that efforts are underway to recover these amounts from the respective government agencies.
For the 2024-25 financial year, the MC has already collected over ₹37 crore in property tax, approaching its target of ₹41 crore. Last year, it exceeded its goal, collecting ₹36 crore against a ₹35 crore target.
The city has approximately 5,800 commercial, 38,000 residential, and 2,000 industrial properties under the MC’s jurisdiction. To ensure compliance, the civic body has launched a door-to-door survey in Sector 60 to verify self-assessed tax payments.
“Some commercial entities, including hospitals, hotels, and petrol pumps, are suspected of underpaying. MC teams are conducting field surveys to confirm the actual tax liability,” an official said.
Taxpayers were granted a 10% rebate for payments made before September 2024. Those who missed the deadline now face penalties.
Defaulters can settle dues with a 10% penalty until March 31. After that, the penalty increases to 20%, with an additional 18% interest on the outstanding amount.
