Ranchi: If bandwalas (band parties) of a lane close to Ranchi Main Road are busy rehearsing Bollywood songs, there’s surely nothing unusual in that, most residents caught up in the wedding season whirl would say.
But, if you listen closely, you will stop in your tracks because the tunes are themed on money, which their client, Ranchi Municipal Corporation (RMC) has demanded in order to execute their upcoming plan to musically shame property tax defaulters from Thursday.
“Panch rupaiya barah aana”, Kishore Kumar’s famous number from Chalti ka Naam Gaadi (1958) or Dhan te nan from Kaminey (2009) are being played by bands mush to the surprise of bystanders used to hearing Aaj mere yaar ki shaadi hai kind of melodies on this road.
“We have been asked by RMC to play our bands at places we would be asked to according to an agreement with the RMC. Through newspapers we have come to know some people have not paid a huge amount of property tax, which is why I suppose we will play the band at their doorsteps,” said Jabbar, the owner of a band party, The Telegraph reported.
Municipal commissioner Prashant Kumar on Wednesday confirmed what Jabbar had said.
“We have roped in five bandwalas at the rate of Rs 3,000 per hour to each group. They will play music to money-themed Bollywood songs before property tax defaulters. RMC employees will accompany bandwalas to show them houses or establishments whose owners have not paid up,” Kumar told The Telegraph .
After playing Bollywood tunes, bandwalas would also sing slogans reminding defaulters to pay property tax immediately, Kumar added.
On February 6, Kumar had announced the RMC would depute music bands to play before property tax defaulters after serving them notices on Monday, asking them to pay up their dues.
“Publicity of the news on Sunday morning has worked wonders,” the municipal commissioner said. “By this afternoon (Wednesday) we received around Rs 14.08 lakh from 15 defaulters of the total 24 we had listed and are expecting around Rs 33 lakh. But, we haven’t received taxes from those who have the highest sums to pay. Thus, band will be played before the establishments of two highest defaulters Roshan Kumar Surin in Roshpa Tower, who owe us Rs 14.21 lakh, and Dulal Chandra and Swapan Ghosh, owners of Rasiklal sweet shop in Doranda Bazar, who have dues of Rs 1.34 lakh, on Thursday after 11am.”
He further added two individuals did not receive notices and hence RMC employees had to paste them on their respective establishments. “One is Smriti Devi of Anand Hotel in Line Tank Road, who owes us Rs 1.17 lakh and the other is G.S. Mishra of Old Hazaribagh Road who owes us Rs 59,000.”
Asked if playing bands near defaulters’ residences don’t work, what next, Kumar expressed confidence in this musical shaming. “Playing the band near residences or establishments with a banner mentioning that person is a property tax defaulter should work. If it fails, we would again serve them notice. If that fails, we will take legal course and initiate auction of the property.”