Bengaluru: 6 Bommanahalli officers face the heat for not acting against tax defaulters

Bengaluru: On finding that BBMP officials of the Bommanahalli Zone failed to recover tax from top 50 defaulters, BBMP Special Commissioner Munish Moudgil has ordered suspensions and a departmental probe.

He ordered the suspension of six revenue officials and a departmental inquiry against the zone’s joint commissioner and deputy commissioner (revenue), in a first-of-its-kind case in which officials have been pulled up for dereliction of duty.

While reviewing Bommanahalli’s revenue department, Moudgil found that the officers failed to follow instructions concerning recovering dues from defaulters and issuing notices to those who failed to pay the arrears. No property was sealed in the zone, even though other zones have been actively pursuing cases against tax defaulters.

The senior IAS officer found lapses in Arakere, where the assistant revenue officer did not take any action against non-residential buildings that owe tax to the civic body. In Begur, he found the assistant revenue officer did not deposit a Rs 31-lakh cheque given by a property owner even though it was issued a month ago.

Similar lapses were found in Bommanahalli, Yelachenahalli, Uttarahalli and HSR Layout divisions. Moudgil found that the officials did not act against top defaulters despite instructions.

A departmental inquiry has been ordered against Deputy Commissioner DK Babu for failing to check files at the assistant revenue office of Arakere, where several discrepancies were noticed. Show-cause notices have been issued to Ajith Kumar, joint commissioner, Bommanahalli Zone.