By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly while analyzing the CAG report on the Taxation department has stated that there was leniency given to the defaulting proprietor of M/s Dreamland Picture Palace allowing him to repay his dues of amusement tax and penalty on installment basis.
“Despite being allowed to pay on installment basis, he (the proprietor) has been unable to clear the amusement tax amounting to Rs 88.05 lakh apart from the penalty of Rs 1.19 crore till date,” said PAC chairman JM Marak in the report tabled in the Assembly on Wednesday.
Stating that the case had been referred to the Bakijai officer (Recovery Officer in the Taxation department) to recover the outstanding dues, the PAC recommended that the concerned Deputy Commissioner should pursue the matter diligently.
As per the reply of the Taxation department, the outstanding amount of entertainment tax and penalty payable by the proprietor was Rs 95.58 lakh and Rs 1.91 crore respectively.
“On May 15 2009, the proprietor of the cinema hall gave an assurance of clearing the dues on installment basis. But till January 2011, he was able to pay only Rs 7.52 lakh leaving the balance amount of tax and penalty payable by him at Rs 88.05 lakh and Rs 1.81 crore respectively,” the department stated in the reply.
With the Dreamland Cinema Hall being closed down since 2006, the department informed that all efforts to realize the dues by the assessing officer have not yielded results.