RMC earns Rs 15 lakh as civic poll candidates rush to clear dues

Ranchi: The announcement of the urban local body elections has resulted in an unexpected advantage for the Ranchi Municipal Corporation (RMC), which has seen a sharp rise in voluntary payment of civic dues to the tune of Rs 15 lakh since Tuesday.Officials on Saturday said the surge in tax payments is largely due to ward councillor aspirants and their supporters rushing to clear their pending taxes required for filing nominations.Under the election norms, candidates must obtain a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the municipal body, certifying that no outstanding holding tax or other civic dues exist. This requirement has resulted in long queues at the RMC office, with one set of visitors clearing their dues and another waiting to collect NOCs after payment.Deputy municipal commissioner Gautam Prasad Sahu said, “There has been heavy footfall at the RMC office since Tuesday. Over Rs 15 lakh has been collected in taxes during this period, with ward councillor candidates showing up in large numbers to clear their dues.” Sahu added that in one case, the highest amount paid by a single candidate was Rs 50,000.” Officials said people from all 53 municipal wards have been visiting the office, reflecting a citywide movement linked to the nomination process. Many candidates were seen moving between tax counters and the NOC section to complete formalities within the deadline. Some payers described the experience as crowded but necessary. “There is a lot of rush because nominations are time-bound. Everyone wants their paperwork cleared without any hassles,” said Ramesh Kumar, a candidate aspirant from Dhurwa.“I had paid my dues earlier, but now I am standing in the same queue just to collect the NOC. People from many wards are coming at once, so the waiting time has increased,” said Sunil Kumar, a candidate aspirant from Lalpur.RMC staff said counters remained busy throughout the day as payments and verifications continued simultaneously.