A municipality employee seals a shop in Sambalpur. Telegraph picture

Sambalpur, Dec. 13: The Sambalpur Municipality has launched a drive to collect outstanding rent from shop owners.

The municipality has sealed nearly 35 shops for failing to pay rent. The municipality had rented out those shops in the city.

Executive officer of Sambalpur municipality Aniruddha Padhan said: “On several occasions we had issued notices to the shops to pay rent. However, they did not respond. And finally we had to seal the shops. This drive will continue.”

He, however, urged defaulters to deposit their dues and avoid such action. The municipality had constructed around 751 shops in the city and gave them on rent to traders.

The Sambalpur Municipality is yet to get nearly Rs 50 lakh from these shops in rent.

A municipal official said: “Several shop owners have now started paying outstanding rent after we sealed 35 shops. Since the drive was launched, about Rs 15 lakh have been collected.”

Local residents have appreciated this move.

“The rent is very reasonable for these shops located in prime places. It is unfortunate that lakh of rupees have been pending against them,” said a local resident Purusottam Thela.

“The civic body often face fund scarcity while undertaking development work. The shops, which have been rented out, are source of income for the civic body. It will be possible for the municipality to carry out several development work in the city if rent is collected regularly,” said a local resident, Sarat Banji.