Owners of new flats and standalone homes will be issued mutation certificates along with completion certificates of the buildings, mayor Firhad Hakim said on Friday.
While issuing the completion and mutation certificates, the Calcutta Municipal Corporation (CMC) will also issue tax bills or a statement of outstanding tax to the owners who have till then booked flats in the newly-constructed building.
This, the mayor said, will help in settling disputes related to taxes that are due from earlier owners of the plots or developers.
The civic body receives complaints from many flat owners that they have been asked to pay a whopping amount as tax, a major portion of which are dues the earlier owners owed the CMC.
“We will issue the mutation certificate along with the completion certificate of the building. There are many flat owners who get their properties mutated months or years after buying them. Many of them discover that they need to clear the tax that has been outstanding since the time the property was owned by the earlier owners,” Hakim said on Friday.
The CMC inspects a new building after the construction is over. The completion certificate (CC) is issued only if it is found that the structure has been built in line with the building plan ratified by the civic body.
CMC officials said the owners of new flats and standalone homes pay a portion of the total cost after they receive the completion certificate. A developer said banks pay a portion of the home loan only after the CC is handed to the bank.
“If the owners get to know that there is outstanding tax on that property, they can bargain with the developer or force him to pay the outstanding amount. This information (which the owners will learn from the tax bills the CMC will issue along with the completion certificate) will be of benefit to the owners,” the official said.
CMC on doorstep
Hakim also announced that a scheme called Nagarbandhu will be launched on January 1 for elderly citizens and persons with disabilities.
“Once the scheme is launched, they (the beneficiaries) need to WhatsApp their requirements to our chatbot 8335999111. Our team will reach their home and do the needful,” Hakim said.
Hakim had earlier announced a similar service but it did not take off.
Sources said the CMC had then thought about charging the beneficiary for the services. As for the Nagarbandhu scheme, the beneficiaries won’t be charged anything. A fee, if any, will be added later.