Tit-for-Tat: AMC intensifies drive to recover tax against mobile companies

Aurangabad, Feb 20:

The Aurangabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) administration is planning to file contempt petitions against the mobile phone companies failing to pay their dues as per the undertakings submitted by them in the various courts. The AMC has to recover Rs 34 crore as taxes against mobile towers from the cellphone companies.

The AMC observed that the cellphone companies do the business of crores of rupees in the city but use every tactic to either delay or avoid paying the tax against the functioning of their mobile towers to the civic body. If the civic authorities take any action, they would immediately approach the court, agrees to pay the token amount and submit an undertaking along with it, assuring of clearing the remaining dues soon. Then they pursue AMC to re-open their sealed towers.

The civic body also learns that these mobile companies, if there are any dues upon customers, immediately disconnect their services. Besides, they also do not offer any relaxation of days or hours at the time of recharge of service. It is believed that there are 568 mobile towers of eight to nine companies in the city.

As reported earlier, the AMC started sealing the mobile towers to recover dues from companies in the past few days. Accordingly, few companies approached the court. There were dues of Rs 4 crore upon them. They brought to the notice of the court about payment of Rs 1.25 crore. The AMC collected demand draft (DD) from them, not cheques. Then these companies were after the AMC to re-open their sealed towers. However, the AMC, out of four, unsealed three towers. It was firm that the fourth one would be unsealed after clearance of total dues, it is learnt.

It is also observed that the mobile phone companies threaten AMC that it would be contempt of the court's order if the towers are not unsealed. However, the same companies submitted undertakings in the court assuring of clearing the dues at the earliest. Taking this legal cue, the AMC has decided to file contempt petitions against these mobile companies for not keeping their word given before the court.

The assessor and collector of tax, Aparna Thete said, " Let them try their best to evade payment of taxes, but the AMC is firm in its decision. It will not unseal the towers totally. The companies will have to clear their total dues by March. If they fail to deposit their dues, then the AMC would initiate appropriate including sealing of the mobile towers."