Rs 500 crore in UD tax still unrecovered, no action on outsourced firm

Jaipur: Despite ongoing efforts to improve revenue collection, Jaipur Municipal Corporation- Greater (JMC-G) has not been able to recover Urban Development (UD) tax of nearly Rs 500 crore pending since 2007. The civic body has begun organising tax collection camps across various zones to address this issue but officials admit that actual recovery remains poor. However, no action has been yet taken against Sparrow, the private company hired to assist with tax collection, despite its consistent underperformance.

A senior official, speaking on condition of anonymity, admitted, "We have organised multiple outreach camps but response wasn't as expected. The backlog is significant and we are under pressure to show results."

JMC-G has been outsourcing tax recovery operations to Sparrow for several years but there has been no major improvement in collection efficiency. Residents have also raised concerns about company's inconsistent service, lack of follow-up and limited accountability.

An internal review of the collection progress reportedly showed no substantial year-on-year growth, prompting questions about corporation's continued reliance on same outsourced agency. However, no official action or penalty has been initiated against Sparrow so far.

JMC-G officials say they are now exploring alternative methods and digital platforms to speed up collections and reduce dependency on third-party contractors. However, with financial year progressing rapidly and revenue targets still unmet, pressure is mounting on administration to act decisively.