KOCHI: The Kalamaserry municipality is not keeping a register of the private hospitals and paramedical institutions operating within the limits of the local body. The Kerala Municipality Act 1994 states that the local body should maintain a separate register for private hospitals and private paramedical institutions. The Act prohibits the functioning of private hospitals and paramedical institutions without registration, according to the audit report of financial year 2015-16 by the local fund audit department.
The local body has also failed to collect professional tax from 39 firms amounting to over Rs 7.8 lakh coming under its jurisdiction for the year. The amount pending ranged from '1,250 to '250,660. The audit report has called for time-bound collection of professional tax from the firms. It also mentioned that the local body had failed to submit a reply to the audit seeking the details of the collection of professional taxes.
It asked the local body to remove the Cochin University of Science and Technology from the list of buildings required to pay the arrears of the building tax as educational institutions are exempt from building tax obligations. The auditors also found discrepancies in reclaiming the amount provided by the local body in advance for various works.
