Khadki Cantt Board asks AFK to clear arrears of Rs 29 crore

The pending arrears are up to 2010 financial year. The service charges of around Rs 3 crore for the last financial year have already been paid by AFK. While Rs 23 crore was pending till 2010,the 2010 financial year charges stood at Rs 2.96 crore.

Officials said the conservancy charges of around Rs 3 crore for five years are also pending with the AFK. However,they added that Rs 2.4 crore conservancy charges of last financial year have been cleared by the factory. “The matter has also been taken up with the Defence Ministry,” said a cantonment official.

The cantonment officials said they were losing on a major revenue to fund development works in the cantonment area owing to non-payment of arrears. “As the tax resources of the board are limited,we are at the receiving end in the wake of pendencies,” said a cantonment official.

Chandershekhar said service charges were in lieu of property tax that is being collected from the cantonment residents and commercial establishment and was less than what is being charged as property tax. “Instead of property tax for the central government buildings,we are taking service charges that is one-third of the property tax estimates,” he said. N P Naik,Joint Managing Director of AFK,said he will look into the matter.

KCB elected member S L Kamble,said,“The matter was also taken up with Defence Minister in 2010 but no headway has been made so far. We are not receiving any grants from the government and to carry out development works we need funds.”