By ROQUE DIAS | NT
MARGAO
Government is almost on the verge of losing revenue to the tune of Rs 7.8 crore since many government offices have failed to recover dues.
The dues include in the form of rent, taxes, fees, and bills owed either by government employees or businessmen or individuals to various departments, informed sources.
As per revenue report of revenue officer (mamlatdar) of Salcete taluka, the department of health, directorate of transport, commercial tax offices, Goa Education Society, electricity, PWD, water resources department have failed to collect dues and among these offices, the electricity department’s outstanding amount stood at nearly Rs 2.5 crore.
When attempts of recovery officials from respective government offices fail to make recovery of dues, the departments then prepare a case and forward it to the taluka revenue officer, that is mamlatdar, to make the recovery.
However, sources informed that the taluka revenue officer, in many of the cases forwarded to him, could not trace the ‘defaulters’ due to change in addresses or the premises were found locked or the parties have expired.
Many of the parties also got into litigations.
The revenue report of April 2017, forwarded to the government for updates, indicates that an amount of Rs 7,89,71806 is to be recovered from a total 2126 cases. The new cases received in the month of April were 20 with the recovery amount put at Rs 71,4614.
As per reports, the PWD (water charges) balance amount to be recovered is Rs 3,34,77,699 and the rent charges in a single case as Rs 26,85,849; while the electricity department has to get back Rs 2,56,84,911. The dues of the commercial sales tax stand at Rs 92 43,490 and the directorate of transport Rs 62,74,720.
Revenue officer of Salcete taluka Vishal Kundaikar disclosed that after repeated attempts he disposed of nine cases and recovered Rs 3,40,624.
In the months of February and March, he managed to recover nearly rupees one crore, including from mining firms, it was stated.
The revenue officer, however, returned 27 cases to various departments having total pending amount of Rs 2.17 crore.