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Gurugram civic body delayed property ID processing for two years, finds audit

The taxation department of the Municipal Corporation of Gurgaon (MCG) audited and found that the civic body has been significantly delaying the processing of applications for property identification numbers (IDs) for an excessively long time. Despite the requirement to complete the process within ten days, it was found that it took the MCG one to two years to process these applications.

Property IDs are essential for residents to pay taxes and execute sale deeds. The office of the principal accountant general (audit) conducted a review of records spanning from October 4, 2021, to January 12, 2022, as part of the audit process.

In Zone 1, MCG received 1,219 applications for property IDs. Out of these, 569 IDs were created, 456 were rejected, and 194 were still under consideration as of October 2021. The processing time for 845 IDs ranged from 11 days to 581 days (over one year and seven months). Zone 1 comprises areas of Gurgaon located to the west of the Delhi-Jaipur highway, including Sectors 7, 9B, 10A, and 36.

As per the Haryana Right to Service Act, 2014, applications should be processed within ten days. However, in zone 4, MCG received 1,859 applications, resulting in the creation of 1,266 IDs, the rejection of 390 applications, and 203 applications still being processed as of October 2021. The processing time for 951 IDs in this zone ranged from 11 days to 763 days (over two years). Zone 4 includes areas like South City-2, Rosewood City, Badshapur, and sectors 50, 58, 59, 60–75, 75A, and 76.

The special audit report highlighted that the reasons for such significant delays were not found in the records. Additionally, the rejected applicants were not informed of the reasons for their rejection. The audit raised concerns regarding the delivery of services in compliance with the Haryana Right to Service Act, which led to the issuance of an office order by MCG on November 25, 2021, to ensure the time-bound delivery of various services.

The report did not mention the applications for zones 2 and 3 in the city. MCG commissioner PC Meena stated that delays in the submission of documents by applicants were one of the reasons for the processing time. He assured that the system has been improved and that applications are now thoroughly reviewed. Measures have been implemented to prevent any pending applications, with joint commissioners assigned to oversee the review process. Regular camps are being conducted to address any backlog.

During the years 2021 and 2022, a remarkable number of 50,415 temporary IDs were generated as a consequence of expanding the Municipal Corporation of Gurgaon's (MCG) jurisdiction to include 16 additional villages. Notably, the tax assessment for these properties associated with the temporary IDs reached an impressive sum of Rs 14.9 crore. However, according to the audit findings, the urban local bodies (ULB) department has received a slightly lower amount of Rs 11.3 crore.

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