Religious harmony thats draining coffers

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: It’s not just the government offices that are making holes in the account box of the City Corporation by enjoying the ‘zero tax’ status. Going by the special audit report on the tax relaxations in Thiruvananthapuram Corporation prepared by the Local Fund Audit Department, a large number of buildings adjacent to worship centres - temples, churches and mosques -  enjoy zero tax status in violation of the Municipality Act. However, the Corporation has done little to plug the leak. The zero tax (eligibility for tax relaxation or non-payment of property tax) list of the City Corporation is a real shocker as it clearly reveals how, in the shadow of religious centres, numerous buildings which should have been paying tax enjoy the relaxation. The offices, rented shops, wedding auditoriums and halls associated with temples, churches and mosques have been found enjoying the same status in tax relaxation. This has been found happening in the case of Sree Padmanabha Swamy Temple, Attukal temple, Beemapally, Vettucaud church, various convents, Bishop Houses, ‘ashrams’ and the like. The audit report states that Kerala Municipality Act 235 (1) (A) offers leniency in tax payment to places which have been set aside for worship. The offices and shops run by the religious centre adjacent to the worship places do not come under this category. ‘’However, the City Corporation has been found to be showing laxity in remitting tax from them,’’ the report says. Instead of considering the offices and halls as separate buildings, it has been found that a single TC number is given to the worship centre and its adjacent buildings. The report lists nearly 249 cases under the banner ‘temples’ which enjoy the zero tax status. As many as 21 buildings connected to the Sree Padmanabha Swamy Temple, including the Mathilakom wedding hall, Palace Trust office, ‘Kottara madom’ and Sree Padmam buildings, are enjoying the zero tax status. The Kowdiar Palace also has been exempted from tax.In the case of Beemapally mosque, tax relaxation has been given to TC numbers 45/899 and 45/900. However, the office of the mosque, rooms adjacent to it, rooms rented out for shops and lodging for pilgrims have all been exempted from tax. And so are the hotel and post office which work inside the compound of the mosque. The Vettucaud church is another example where a lavish hall and a residential building owned by the church have been exempted from property tax. The same is true in the case of  ‘ashrams’, convents and Bishop Houses, the audit report says. Though the Municipality Act recognises tax relaxation for buildings used for ‘teaching’ purposes, many buildings which are in the compound of schools and colleges have been included under the masthead school/ashram/ convent/ Bishop House and have been served a single TC number. It applies to LMS church, Pentecost Mission Charachira, Sree Ramakrishna Mission, Abhedanandashramam, Kerala Naduvathul Mujahideen Mujahid Centre and so on.The audit, which was done during the time of the previous Council, is now on the table of the new Council. It says that the Corporation has not been keeping updated records on the tax status. The paper list of the zero tax buildings do not match with the details in the software ‘Sanchaya’. It would be a Herculean task for the local body to move an inch on the basis of the report, even if it plans to do anything about its dipping finances.