Property tax payment: FIRs to be lodged if cheques bounce

Even as the Central government discusses the constitutional validity of a provision under the Negotiable Instruments Act awarding jail terms in cheque dishonouring cases,the civic bodies have decided to take stringent action against those whose property tax cheques are not cleared.

The offenders in such cases may have to face arrest and imprisonment,corporation officials said. Talking to Newsline,a senior corporation official said they planned to issue a public notice warning people against paying their property tax through cheques knowing that they will not be cleared by the bank.

The officials of the three corporations said they will lodge FIRs against such defaulters. The three municipal corporations have also come up with a set of guidelines for easy filing of property tax returns.