Crackdown on property tax defaulters in Agra: AMC puts up posters with names, freezes bank accounts

Agra Municipal Commissioner Ankit Khandelwal recently held a meeting with revenue realisation officers. During this meeting, he instructed them to enforce the recovery of dues ranging from Rs 50,000 to Rs 21 lakh. Khandelwal also directed officials to take measures such as freezing bank accounts and displaying posters listing the names, but not photos, of defaulters and the amounts they owed.

“We are preparing more lists like this which will be displayed in each district zone. Additionally, we will proceed to seize their bank accounts and initiate the process of attaching their properties. The goal is to maximise revenue collection, particularly from those who habitually neglect to pay property tax for years,” said Khandelwal, adding that the civic body had been forced to take strict measures to improve its revenue.

He has instructed that each zone prepare a list of defaulters with dues ranging from Rs 50,000 to one lakh and display this list on posters by zone. He has also issued directives to compile a separate list of hotels, marriage halls, and hospitals that still need to pay their property taxes and to initiate the process of attaching these properties. The AMC has compiled a detailed list of nearly 3,25,000 properties with pending property tax payments, but only about 1,00,000 individuals have cleared their dues in the previous financial years.

The Yogi Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh first initiated a “name-and-shame” campaign in March 2020. This involved displaying roadside banners and posters in the state capital, Lucknow, featuring the photographs and addresses of people being asked to pay compensation for the damage caused to public property during the protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).

Four years later, posters surfaced on November 29 featuring photographs of those accused in the violence that occurred in the Sambhal town. This unrest followed the survey of Shahi Jama Masjid, which resulted in the deaths of four people and injuries to 25 others, including police officers, on November 24.