Chandigarh, Feb. 16 -- In a move to bridge the widening revenue gap, the department of local government has shifted its focus to high-value commercial establishments to recover long-pending property tax arrears amounting to Rs.1,000 crore.

Senior government functionaries, in the know of the matter, said that following the data collected from across the state, it has been noticed that big and medium-scale business joints are the biggest defaulters.

"Out of nearly 94,000 commercial properties across the state, a substantial number have defaulted on property tax payments, severely affecting revenue generation. The department has now prioritised recovery from large malls, multiplexes, hotels, banquet halls, commercial complexes and other hi...