Setting a record, urban civic bodies in the state have made huge gains in tax collections in the first month of the current fiscal.
The municipalities and municipal corporations have reported nearly 54 per cent increase in property tax collections in the first month over the last year. Although revision of taxes by nearly 15 per cent helped the civic bodies fetching decent revenues, the overall growth rate in tax collections surpassed previous records.
According to latest reports, the municipal bodies collected 496.77 crore in the first month of the fiscal. This is nearly 55 per cent jump from the taxes collected in April 2021. The civic bodies pooled around 320 crore last April. The proportionate tax demand for April 2022 is just around 313.35 crore. The tax collections even surpassed the target set for April by earning nearly 178 crore over and above the target.
“The ward secretariat staff played key role in creating awareness among tax payers about 5 per cent rebate as well as close monitoring by the authorities has helped us garner good revenues,” said commissioner and director of municipal administration (CDMA), Pravin Kumar.
Visakhapatnam, Vijayawada and Guntur municipal corporations bagged the first three slots in tax collections in April. “Overall revenue through property taxes, water cess and other taxes was 635 crore in April. I appreciate all our commissioners for putting up maximum efforts in realizing the revenues,” said municipal administration minister Dr Adimulapu Suresh.
Ongole made massive growth rate with its collections touching 195 per cent in the first month. The civic authorities collected nearly 10.5 crore against the demand for April of 5.8 crore.
Tirupati too reported a growth rate of 180 per cent as the local authorities pooled 20 crore against the target of 11 crore. Rajahmundry, Kurnool and Kakinada municipal corporations reported over 100 per cent tax collections in the first month of the fiscal.
SPSR Nellore district stood in the top with 60 per cent growth rate when it comes to the overall district (old) performance. Municipalities in Nellore collected nearly 26 crore in April while it was just 16 crore last year.
Guntur district reported 30 per cent growth rate with collection of 54 crore against 41.35 crore last year. While West Godavari district reported 37 per cent growth rate, Kadapa district reported 36 per cent.
