Manpower shortage delays collection of revenue
Mumbai city collector Sampada Mehta has written to state revenue department officials to provide 30 teams of three members each who can undertake the responsibility of lease renewal work. Mehta said, “Currently we have just two teams which comprise a surveyor, Naik Tehsildar, and town planner each, who visit the site, conduct the survey and find out if any breach of agreement is done on the premises of leased property. However, as more than 500 lease property agreements are pending for renewal, it is taking time due to the shortage of manpower.”
She further stated that the three-member committee after notifying the number of breaches done by the lessee report it to the breach committee and in turn, the committee takes the decision regarding how much penalty is to be imposed. Also, the illegal work is regularised after the fine is collected. Also, on the elite club ‘Bombay Gymkhana’, which received flak for illegal constructions in the chief executive officer (CEO) bungalow, the collector remarked that until the lease is not renewed no action could be taken against them. “The new lease policy for all clubs was introduced by the state government in the month of June. But due to the shortage of manpower the priority properties like a hospital whose lease has expired are renewed first,” Mehta said.
Meanwhile, the state government this year has given a target of Rs 350 crore to the city collector to collect pending dues and arrears. They have collected more than Rs 100 crore in land revenue.