Zero tenancy makes LMC biggies sit up

THE OFFICIALS of Lucknow Municipal Corporation are baffled with zero tenancy in the self-assessed houses and are planning to launch a verification drive soon.

The LMC may slap a fine from Rs 1000 to Rs 30,000 on the guilty owners. It may be recalled that the Lucknow Municipal Corporation provided the facility of self-assessment to the residents three years ago.

“We believed that the residents would reveal all the facts honestly. We trusted them with the self- assessment scheme. But, now we feel there is some breach of trust as none from lakhs of house owners has admitted having tenants in their houses,” says additional municipal commissioner AC Sinha.

“According to LMC records, there are 3,39,067 houses in the municipal limits. Out of which, over 1 lakh owners have submitted their self- assessment forms. But, and no one has admitted having any tenants. We believe nearly 50 per cent city population lives in rented houses. So how can there be zero tenancy?” Sinha adds.

The LMC officials explain their point by saying if the 3,39,067 houses give shelter to family of five then only 17 lakh population is having proper residence.

According to LMC records, the current population of the city is nearly 25 lakhs.

That means nearly 8 lakh people live in rented houses!

AC Sinha says the corporation will start a special verification drive  for tenants next month in the self-assessed houses. “If the tenants in self-assessed houses are found then we will act according to the LMC laws and slap fine on them which may range from Rs 1,000 to Rs 30,000 besides realizing dues,” says Sinha.
“Till now our focus was on the government buildings, old tax defaulters and preparing computerised bills for the residents but now we are going to focus on the verification of  self- assessed houses from next month, still there is time for those residents who submitted wrong details to rectify their mistakes and escape from being fined,” says Sinha.

By May 31, the LMC dispatched house tax bills to 2,07,828 houses. It would dispatch bills to the remaining houses within fifteen days. After that campaign against the self- assessed houses would be taken up by the LMC.