The Municipal Corporation (MC) in Karnal opened its property tax collection counters on a public holiday Monday to accommodate residents eager to clear their dues before the Haryana government's 100 percent interest waiver scheme expires on June 30. A large number of taxpayers visited the civic body's office throughout the day to benefit from the one-time waiver, which covers outstanding property tax for financial years 2010-11 to 2024-25.
Scheme Details and Deadline
The one-time interest waiver scheme, announced by the Haryana government, allows taxpayers to clear their pending property tax without paying any interest, provided they complete a mandatory self-certification process on the Municipal Corporation's property tax portal. The scheme remains in force only until June 30, prompting a last-minute rush.
Karnal MC Commissioner Saloni Sharma urged residents not to delay. “If there is any error in property IDs, taxpayers can raise an objection on the portal, which will be addressed by our team. Once the discrepancies are resolved, the self-certification process can be completed and the taxpayer can avail the interest waiver,” she said.
Collection Figures and Targets
Sharma revealed that the MC has set a property tax collection target of Rs 30 crore for the current financial year. “We will make efforts to achieve the target,” she added. In the current financial year, the MC has collected a total of Rs 15.33 crore in property tax so far. In June alone, the civic body collected Rs 7.77 crore, with Rs 2.13 crore coming in the past three days. On Monday alone, the MC collected Rs 92.75 lakh.
Mayor's Appeal and Warning
Mayor Renu Bala Gupta also appealed to residents to clear their pending dues within the stipulated period. “The scheme is providing substantial financial relief to taxpayers while strengthening the MC’s resources for development works,” she said. She emphasised that revenue generated through property tax is utilised for the maintenance of roads, sanitation, parks, streetlights, drainage and other civic amenities.
The Mayor cautioned that outstanding property tax would attract interest at the rate of 1.5 percent per month after June 30. She also warned that strict action, including the sealing of properties belonging to major defaulters, would be initiated in accordance with the rules.
Assistance for Taxpayers
Zonal Taxation Officer Ankush Parashar and Tax Superintendent Gagandeep Singh confirmed that self-certification on the property tax dues portal is mandatory to avail the interest waiver. They said that assistance is being provided at the Municipal Corporation office as well as ward-level facilitation centres to help taxpayers complete the process without inconvenience.
