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 high-value properties where significant dues remain unpaid," the official added, requesting anonymity as he is not authorised to make press statements. The official said that despite repeated efforts by the state government, including issuing multiple notices to defaulters, introducing a one-time settlement (OTS) scheme offering incentives and relief on penalties, the response was low. "Now, the commissioners have been directed to act against the defaulters", the official said, adding that the shortfall in property tax collection has significantly hampered revenue streams, placing immense pressure on essential citizen services. "Civic bodies are struggling to maintain infrastructure, improve and implement key urban development projects. Compared to other states, Punjab's property tax collection continues to lag, widening the fiscal strain on municipal corporations and councils. Thus, the MCs have been directed to take action against the defaulting units. So far, Rs.100 crore has been collected", the official added. The department has directed local bodies to prepare updated lists of major defaulters and intensify recovery drives, with the senior officers monitoring it on a weekly basis. With mounting financial pressure on urban local bodies, the government believes that targeted recovery from high-value commercial establishments could substantially improve collections and restore fiscal stability, ensuring uninterrupted delivery of essential public services to the public. "Some of the high-value establishments and multi-brand chains have started falling in line and started paying. This includes retail marts, hypermarkets, cinema chains, etc. While the campaign is on, the Punjab Local government also mooted the plan to geo-tag each commercial unit to access the actual area and tax paid, as there are instances that the area is more, but the owner is paying less tax", the official added. After the campaign, Ludhiana has collected Rs.140 crore as property tax, the maximum across the state, the official said....