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| May 31, 2005 | Tuesday | Rabi-us-Sani 22, 1426 |
83 property units of defaulters sealed
GUJRAT, May 30: The excise and taxation department sealed 83 commercial property units and imposed penalties up to 75 per cent to defaulters in a campaign launched against property tax defaulters in Kharian in May. Sources in the department said the father and an uncle of area MNA Rahman Naseer Marala and two relatives of MNA Qamar Zaman Kaira and sacked Kharian tehsil nazim Nadeem Asghar Kaira were among defaulters. They had sought time till May 31 (today) for the payment of their dues.
Acting assistant excise and taxation officer Amir Shahzad Gondal told reporters that notices had been issued to some 300 defaulters who owed Rs4.5 million to the department. He said the department received a meagre amount from only small defaulters while the influential defaulters were using delaying tactics on one or the other pretext.
Mr Gondal brought the matter to the notice of ETO Sohail Arshad with a request to use his powers as property tax collector in this regard.
At this, he said the ETO had issued warrants for distress and sale of movable property and warrants for attachment and sale of immovable property of defaulters with a direction to the AETO to implement his orders within 30 days.
In compliance, the AETO with the help of subordinates sealed 83 commercial units. Some of the sealed units are Nek Alam Market, Zafar Market, Karachi Cloth Store, Riaz Dilo Market, Chaudhry Azmat Ali Market (belonging to an uncle of MNA Rahman Naseer) and Khan Plaza.
It is for the first time in department’s history that any official had imposed penalties on defaulters. The penalty chart revealed that after the failure in making payment till May 2, the penalty will be up to 25 per cent, till May 12 up to 50 per cent, till May 22 up to 75 per cent and after June 2 up to 100 per cent.
Sources told Dawn that MNA Rahman’s father Chaudhry Rahman Naseer Marala, the owner of Sangam Plaza, Sangam Hotel and a market on Dinga Road, and uncle Dr Shaukat Marala, the owner of Marala Plaza and a market on Dinga Road, were among the defaulters.
They said owner’s brothers — Zia, Raza and Shahzad of some commercial units and Shahzad Hotel were among the defaulters. They said the three brothers were relatives of MNA Qamar Zaman Kaira and sacked Kharian tehsil nazim Nadeem Asghar Kaira. The owner of Malik Munawar Markets is also among the defaulters.
But, sources said that these defaulters with political background escaped any departmental action regarding to the sealing of their units as they had obtained time from the authorities concerned.
They said now these defaulters were putting the screws on officials not only for the extension in the time period but also for exemption in the tax amount.
Mr Gondal, however, claimed that the department would not succumb to any pressure and after May 31 (today), units of these defaulters would also be sealed.
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