Cooch Behar, Aug. 19: The Congress-led municipality here has decided to start a drive to recover nearly Rs 2 crore as property tax that has remained unpaid by 19 government departments and institutions.

The civic body has decided to send an ultimatum to the defaulters to either pay up the amount or get their property attached.

The North Bengal State Transport Corporation (NBSTC) that has chalked up dues of more than Rs 53.7 lakh has already been issued a letter in this regard.

Chairperson of the municipality Biren Kundu said the dues have been accumulating for over the past two decades.

“The Congress has been running the civic body for the past three terms and the dues date back to the time when the Left was in power. The defaulters sometimes pay up a small amount and sit on the remaining sum for years despite us sending them reminders,” said Kundu.

He said the civic body has already sent a letter to the NBSTC.

“They have been reminded often to clear the dues but the appeals have been ignored. We have sent an ultimatum to them stating that if they did not pay up soon we will attach their property,” said the chairperson.

According to sources in the civic body, the superintendent of police’s office owes the municipality Rs 7.8 lakh, the fisheries department owes Rs 43 lakh, and Maharaja Jitendra Narayan Hospital owes Rs 30.3 lakh as property tax.

Rabindra Bhavan and the youth affairs department are also among the 19 defaulters.

The total dues amount to Rs 1.73 crore, the sources said.

An official with the municipality said in 2002, the civic body could recover some amount when the officials went to the NBSTC with a section of the Municipal Act, 1995, with provisions to attach its property for not paying the tax.

“The municipality had also got labourers and nets to catch huge quantity of fish from a waterbody belonging to the fisheries department following which, some of the dues were recovered,” the official said.

According to Kundu, the recovered funds would be used to improve the town.

“We will renovate buildings and other structures like parks and gardens with the money. The government departments should help us by paying up the dues,” he said.

He said the funds could also be utilised to buy equipment for waste management, water supply and drainage system for the town.