Nagpur: A meeting of Chamber of Associations of Maharashtra Industry & Trade (CAMIT) with Municipal Commissioner Radhakrishan B and members of state level committee constituted to review and fix the rent afresh, was held on April 12 at NMC office. Recently the Urban Development Department had issued two separate notifications giving effect to the decision taken in the budget session to keep in abeyance the provision of 8% annual rent and to constitute the committee to review and fix the rent afresh.
Dr. Dipen Agrawal said that Municipal Commissioner patiently heard clause-by-clause submissions and appreciating the submissions made in the memorandum of suggestions said that the suggestion will help in addressing the issues pertaining to leased properties. However, the Commissioner was not keen to accept the submissions for licensed property as they were not covered by the notification under review. In his initial remarks, Commissioner without mincing words explained the views of administration on treatment of and difference between licensed property and leased property. He was kind enough to add that in his personal view if the government agreed to or traders could succeed in their demand to include the corporation property licensed under Chapter XIX of MMC Act 1949 along-with leased property then same can save time, money and resources of the Corporation.
Radhakrishnan B assured that he shall pursue the demand for linking licensed and leased Corporation property in the committee meeting with a caveat that one should not be hopeful of positive results in this regard. The Municipal Commissioner expressed his anguish for licensees not availing the benefit of amnesty scheme which ended on 31/03/2022 wherein 100% penalty and interest was waived against payment of license fee.
Dr. Agrawal pursued to extend the amnesty scheme as due to March ending and very little public awareness among the tenants, they could not take benefit of the scheme and appealed to the Commissioner to not take any coercive action against the licensee in default. After profound persuasion, the Commissioner agreed to extend the last date of the amnesty scheme for payment of license fee up till May 10, 2022, with an appeal to all licensees to take benefit of the scheme and do away with their liability and avoid any coercive action in future.
Deepak Kumar Meena, -Additional Commissioner (General), Milind Meshram, Deputy Commissioner (Revenue) and Ravindra Bhelave, Deputy Commissioner (Estate) were also present in the meeting, informed a press release issued by CAMIT Vice President Sanjay K Agrawal.
