Certificate case: BMC files notice to advertising agency under OPDR Act

Bhubaneswar: Sending a strong message to all tax defaulters across the city, the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) has issued a notice against an advertising agency for non-payment of dues.

The BMC has issued the notice under Section 6 of Orissa Public Demand Recovery (OPDR) Act – 1962 for no payment of dues of a year.

BMC has asked the agency to cough up the dues within 30 days time or else face the consequence as the OPDR Act is known for its serious consequences like the attachment of property and bank accounts until the said case is not solved with immediate effect, said a BMC statement.

Sources said the civic authority was forced to file the case under OPDR Act as the advertising agency M/S Enkon Private Limited has defaulted a payment of Rs 14,51,620 for the year 2015-16.

The certificate case was thus initiated by Deputy Zonal Commissioner of South East Zone of BMC as he has been designated as the Certificate Officer for that particular zone of BMC.

It can be noted here that after a resolution in BMC Corporation, a proposal was sent to the State Government to designate a Certificate Officers in BMC for efficient and better collection of revenue and in 2014 the State Government accepted the proposal to designate officers in the largest corporation of Odisha.

Presently, BMC has three Certificate Officers in three different zones. However, to collect fees from unauthorised advertising activities, this would be the first Certificate Case in BMC’s history.

The notice to the certificate-debtor, issued on September 7, has asked the agency to pay the money or reap the consequences as legally the OPDR Act could result in serious implications. Once the payment is made within the stipulated period of the Act, the Certificate case would be cancelled with immediate effect, it the notice clarified.

Earlier, before any reference to revenue related matters in case of tax collection, OPDR Act notices were issued by an officer designate in the sub-collector’s office for BMC. However, since 2015 BMC has started having three officers designate to make the revenue collection more effective under OPDR Act, 1962.