An assessment scam has come to light in the Katargam zone of Surat city, where 51 farmhouses have allegedly been shown with lesser assessments to defraud the municipality of INR 30 crores in property tax. The fraud was committed by showing the parking area as smaller than it actually is. While the investigation has not yielded any conclusion, the Evaluation Department of Katargam Zone has issued show cause notices to 11 surveyors for their role in the scam.
The surveyors have expressed their anger over being targeted, despite valuation being recorded in the government books only after the approval of higher officials. Discrepancies were found during the cross verification of original and revised estimates over the past five years, showing a loss of INR 6 crores per year to the municipal exchequer. An unbiased investigation could reveal the involvement of several officers.
BJP corporator Narendra Nandlal Pandav had filed a written complaint with the municipal commissioner, alleging lesser assessments of nine farmhouses, and some assessments not shown on paper. However, the responsible officials suddenly went on leave after the investigation began. While the inquiry committee has failed to reach any conclusion, the issuance of show cause notices to surveyors suggests that more information on the assessment scam may emerge in the coming days.
