RAWALPINDI, July 1: The district government has failed to recover even a single penny out of over Rs73 million outstanding dues from the contractors of defunct Zila council.

The district government has to recover Rs15.2 million from the contractors of cattle fares, Rs3.9 million as defaulted excavation taxes, Rs39.3 million as goods exit tax, Rs0.3 million as toll tax, Rs0.12 million as ferries charges, Rs0.707 million as Adda fees, Rs0.41 as defaulted rent from leased out canteens, Rs68,000 from the contractor of Chattar gardens, Rs2.8 million as licence fees, Rs6.9 million as defaulted immovable property tax and Rs3.9 million under miscellaneous heads.

Last year, the district government had decided to recover the amount, but the revenue department could not get hold of the defaulters.

“Despite repeated reminders and requests, the taxation machinery could not recover Rs73 million dues from the contractors,” a senior district government official said. The official said: “This amount could not be earmarked for the ADP.”

He said the district government spent Rs60.96 million on the salaries and other expenditures of the taxation machinery last year.

The convener of finance and planning committee, Ejaz Hussain, in his report to the district council, stated the revenue department has neither communicated any progress report to the district secretariat nor any programme for its recovery seems to have been chalked out.”