AMC assures PAC of collecting license fee from April 1

Aurangabad, Feb 10:

The Aurangabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) has assured the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of collecting the license fee from April 1, 2021. Meanwhile, the PAC expressed its displeasure over AMC's failure in collecting the fee for the past seven years. The state government had ordered the municipal corporation to collect the fees in 2013.

Earlier, the Accountant General (Nagpur) made negative remarks in connection with the fee by AMC. It had claimed that the AMC was pushed to suffer a loss of Rs 1.33 crore by not collecting it. Taking cue of it, the AMC's general body (GB) passed the revised proposal in 2018. However, the city merchants strongly opposed the AMC's decision.

Today, the PAC headed by Sudhir Mungantiwar recorded the statements of the principal secretary and the AMC's deputy commissioner during the hearing held at the Mantralaya (Mumbai). The committee members Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil, Prithviraj Chavan and others were also present at the hearing.

The PAC also expressed concern over poor collection of any taxes by the AMC. On an inquiry, the AMC deputy commissioner Aparna Thete clarified that it is impossible to collect the fee from the backdate as the demand notices had not been served to the business fraternity.

The municipal corporations are listed as A, B, C and D category in the state. Hence, the committee instructed the state government to consider and ensure the possibility of fixing the license fee as per the category of municipal corporations.

Thete said, " The AMC is ready to start collecting license fee from April 1. The preparations in this regard will be in full swing from March. The civic administration had the registration of the majority of traders, merchants from the city. Hence the registration forms from the remaining ones along with other procedures, will be completed soon."