Latest news with #MunicipalCorporationofGurugram
Hindustan Times
21-05-2025
- Business
- Hindustan Times
MCG cracks down on unpaid property tax; 100s of high-value cases identified
The Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) has intensified its crackdown on chronic property tax defaulters, issuing recovery notices to multiple owners with long-standing dues, officials said on Tuesday. The drive comes amid rising defaults and growing arrears. Officials have compiled lists of the top 100 defaulters in each zone, with a priority focus on properties where outstanding taxes exceed ₹50 lakh. Despite lowering its FY-25 property tax target to ₹300 crore—down from ₹500 crore the previous year—the civic body managed to collect only ₹240 crore, marking a 5% decline from the ₹254 crore collected in FY-24. According to officials, the shortfall is attributed to incorrect property records, unresolved disputes, and property owners delaying payments in anticipation of rebates. On Tuesday, Pankaj Kumar, zonal taxation officer of Zone-2, issued recovery notices to 22 such high-value defaulters. MCG confirmed that similar notices are being served across other zones as well, warning of strict action, including sealing and auctioning of properties in case of continued non-compliance. To be sure, under the Haryana Municipal Corporation Act, all owners of buildings and vacant plots within municipal limits are required to pay annual property tax. The law stipulates an annual interest of 18% on unpaid dues. Persistent defaulters risk property sealing and auction as per statutory provisions, which will begin from the first week of June. 'City development schemes and basic municipal services heavily depend on this revenue source. Stringent measures against chronic defaulters are necessary to ensure the city's planned growth,' said MCG Commissioner Pradeep Dahiya. Reinforcing accountability, the corporation urged residents not to involve intermediaries or brokers in property tax matters, stressing transparency and direct engagement through official channels. To assist those unfamiliar with digital processes, help desks have been established at municipal offices. Staff at these desks are required to resolve citizen grievances promptly. Officials said that zonal taxation officers have been instructed to act immediately on complaints. Employees in the tax department have been explicitly directed not to delay, reject, or revert applications without valid cause. Any such misconduct will lead to departmental proceedings, they added. According to officials, since April 1, 2015, the MCG has received 11,159 objections related to property tax assessments. Of these, 7,622 were resolved within the designated timeframe, 554 were rejected due to incomplete documentation, and 1,700 were reverted to applicants for corrections. Only 1,283 cases remain pending as of now, they added. The MCG has also called on citizens to report any illegal payment demands to the commissioner or additional commissioner, assuring immediate legal action against offenders. Officials said that citizens are advised to handle tax-related matters personally or through authorised MCG portals to avoid fraud.
Hindustan Times
19-05-2025
- General
- Hindustan Times
Tree felling near Sector 43 sparks outcry, audit demand
A large-scale tree felling drive along the busy corridor from Millennium City Centre to Golf Course Road has triggered outrage among residents and environmentalists, who allege that scores of mature trees are being axed with scant notice, transparency or legal scrutiny. Felling reportedly began earlier this week near Millennium City Centre metro station and has since advanced toward Vyapar Kendra. Locals say the operation—linked, they believe, to road-widening or utility-laying—is proceeding 'without signage, public consultation or displayed permits'. 'When I spoke to the contractor, he casually said all the trees on the road would be cut. It's shocking—no prior notification, no transparency,' said a Sector 29 resident, requesting anonymity. Neighbourhood groups from Sushant Lok and adjoining sectors have petitioned the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) and the Forest Department to halt the work. 'It is disheartening to see tree felling right before the monsoon… We urgently need a stronger Tree Protection Act in Haryana, similar to what Delhi has,' said Rashmi of Jeevantara Apartments, Sector 43. Residents have also flagged health concerns. 'The damage to the environment and health is irreversible. Authorities must act immediately,' warned Neelakandan of Sanskriti Apartments, Sector 43. 'Trees are being cut indiscriminately. The contractor claims to have permission, but we see no documentation,' added Vasu Sashti, another Sector 43 resident. Gurugram-based environmentalist Vaishali Rana called the exercise 'disturbing', arguing that development is being pursued 'without compensatory afforestation or public consultation', further imperilling the city's fragile urban ecology. 'Gurugram's urban ecology is already fragile—such actions push it closer to irreversible environmental degradation,' she said. Responding to the outcry, divisional forest officer RK Jangra confirmed the removal, stating that 'the project has formal sanction for the removal of 250 trees. We have obtained all the necessary clearances from the government. There is no alternative for developing this stretch without cutting these trees.' Jangra added that compensatory plantation would follow 'as per legal norms'.
Hindustan Times
19-05-2025
- Business
- Hindustan Times
MCG holds camp to fix property tax data errors
The Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) held a property tax correction camp at mayor Rajrani Malhotra's New Colony office on Sunday, drawing about 250 Zone 1 and Zone 2 residents seeking to fix data errors dating to 2022, and spawned 360,000 objections While the backlog has reduced from 11,029 cases late last year to 3,135 by March 26, officials said these delays left residents with little time to pay FY25 dues. 'There was also an expectation of a rebate from September 2024, which never materialised. That contributed to the delay in payments,' a senior MCG taxation official said. MCG Commissioner Pradeep Dahiya reiterated that tax payment is mandatory under the Haryana Municipal Corporation Act, 1994. 'Property tax must be deposited annually by March 31. Failure to do so attracts 18% interest, and defaulting properties may be sealed and auctioned,' he said. Despite reducing its FY25 target to ₹300 crore — down from ₹500 crore the previous year — the civic body collected only ₹240 crore, 5% less than the ₹254 crore gathered in FY24. The gap, officials said, is due to incorrect property records, pending disputes, and owners waiting for rebates. To expedite dispute resolution, MCG has empowered zonal officers to correct minor discrepancies and has launched a door-to-door survey to improve data accuracy. The civic body has also pushed online payment solutions and introduced a No Dues Certificate (NDC) portal for residents to verify and update records. While property tax remains Gurugram's largest revenue source, contributing a projected ₹300 crore to the city's ₹1,450 crore budget for 2025–26, officials admit that structural reforms and accurate data are essential for hitting targets. MCG has also shifted focus toward increasing income from stamp duty, building plan approvals, and advertisements to offset property tax underperformance.
Hindustan Times
07-05-2025
- General
- Hindustan Times
Waste from Bandhwari dumped in Mangar's Aravallis: activists
Mangar village in Faridabad is emerging as a new epicentre of illegal dumping, with hundreds of tonnes of waste from the Bandhwari landfill being offloaded into the fragile ecosystem of the Aravalli hills in recent days, according to environmentalists and locals. Illegal dumping sites in forest area of Mangar village near Mauji Dham Hanuman Mandir, in Gurugram as spotted by activists. (Parveen Kumar/HT Photo) Starting Friday birders and environmentalists said they saw multiple dumper trucks transporting untreated 'compost waste' — likely laden with plastics, heavy metals, and toxins — into Mangar's Gair Mumkin Pahar zone, which spans 3,810 acres. Of this, 1,132 acres are protected under Sections 4 and 5 of the Punjab Land Preservation Act (PLPA), while the remaining land falls under the 'forest status to be decided' category, where non-forest activity is prohibited. The waste is allegedly being dumped not just to discard landfill residue, but to alter the terrain illegally said Lt Col (Retd) Sarvadaman Singh Oberoi, a conservationist. The material, he said, is being spread to level undulations, fill kuccha paths and rain-fed johar catchments—effectively flattening terrain to create roads and illegally occupy forest land. 'I was shocked to see huge mounds of legacy waste dumped across forest trails in Mangar. The Bandhwari landfill isn't reducing because it's being processed—it's being dumped here,' said Pragya Taneja, a wildlife enthusiast who visited the site on Tuesday. Locals and environmentalists said the activity has now extended into neighbouring villages such as Dhauj and Kot. Vaishali Rana, a Gurugram-based environmentalist, said: 'This needs urgent investigation. The scale of dumping, the toxic nature of the trommel residue, and the destruction of ecology must be scrutinized. Authorities must answer how waste is moving from a state-monitored landfill into a protected eco-zone without checks.' Lt Col (Retd) Sarvadaman Singh Oberoi, a conservationist, said: 'Mangar has over 3,800 acres of Aravalli land, of which 1,132 are PLPA-protected. The rest is forest land awaiting notification. No non-forest activity can take place here. What's happening is not just illegal—it's ecocidal. This dumped waste is burying native herbs, wildlife burrows, and tree saplings, altering the region's ecology permanently.' Illegal dumping sites in forest area of Mangar village near Mauji Dham Hanuman Mandir, in Gurugram as spotted by activists. (Parveen Kumar/HT Photo) Oberoi said the dumped material includes toxic rejects from trommel sieving at Bandhwari—microplastics, metallic waste, and leachate-prone materials. Experts warned that dumping such residue in low-lying areas can contaminate water catchments, with toxins seeping into groundwater and affecting ecosystems and local communities. 'I have been keeping a check on the dumped material,' he said. Ashok Kumar Garg, commissioner of the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG), said he has taken serious note of the activity. 'I have ordered an immediate inspection of the Mangar site. An inquiry will be marked to identify the violators behind this illegal activity. Strict action will be taken under environmental and municipal laws,' he said. Forest watchers and environmentalists suspect this may be among the largest coordinated land transformations in the Aravallis in recent years. 'Trucks are clearing paths and dumping behind dams, across slopes, and in catchment zones. The intent is clear—they're preparing land for illegal occupation,' Oberoi said. With the Bandhwari landfill shrinking despite no meaningful expansion in waste-processing capacity, environmental groups fear illegal translocation of untreated waste could become the new norm. Residents of Mangar, already battling deforestation and encroachment, warn this may be the last chance to save the Aravallis—before bulldozers, politics, and profiteering erase them for good.
Hindustan Times
01-05-2025
- General
- Hindustan Times
Gurugram civic body takes action to prevent recurrence of fire incidents at Bandhwari landfill
Gurugram, The Municipal Corporation of Gurugram on Thursday held a meeting with district administration over the recurrence of fire incidents at the Bandhwari landfill site and took steps to prevent it. The Corporation officials informed that earlier there were two methane detectors on the Bandhwari landfill site, which have now been increased to six. These portable detectors have been installed on Poclain machines, the officials said according to an official statement. DC Ajay Kumar said that all necessary precautions should be taken to prevent recurrence of fire incidents at the Bandhwari landfill site. Borewells and storage tanks should be built to supply water at the site to deal with fire, he added. At present, 27 fire extinguishers, 55 fire balls, two water tankers and two sprinkler pumps among others are there at the landfill site. In addition, 26 CCTV cameras have been installed for round the clock monitoring of the site. DC Kumar directed to the official that all precautions should be taken on priority to ensure that such an incident is not repeated at Bandhwari landfill site. He also gave necessary instructions to the officials of Municipal Corporation, Gurugram and Manesar, NHAI, GMDA and Pollution Control Department regarding dust control in the district. He said that there are clear instructions from the Haryana government that the repair and construction of all roads should be completed by June 15. Kumar also directed for mechanized sweeping of roads for dust control and sprinkling of water twice a day on roads under construction. Regarding solid waste management, the DC directed to take action against those violating the rules. "Pollution control is our collective responsibility and there should be no negligence at any level regarding the health of the citizens. Officials take necessary precautions to control incidents of fire in forest areas,' DC Kumar said. Recently, a fire broke out at the Bandhwari landfill site and it took firefighters over 16 hours to douse it. Local residents have said that the repeated fires in the garbage mountains of the landfill have caused more trouble for the people living nearby as the smoke generated from these fires makes them gasp for air.
