The Hindu 30.03.2011
Coimbatore Corpn. keen to achieve tax targets
Revenue wing aims to collect Rs. 102.21 crore in property tax
Facilitating tax payment: Coimbatore Corporation’s efforts to meet tax
collection targets have started bearing fruit as almost all assessees
have paid their property tax and water charges. – PHOTO: S.SIVA
SARAVANAN
Financial year-end is tax-collection time at the Coimbatore Corporation. This year is no different.
The civic body has made elaborate arrangements to ensure that it achieves its tax collection targets.
Sources say as on Tuesday, it has met 80 per cent of its
target in collecting property tax, water collection charges, non-tax
items, vacant land tax and miscellaneous charges.
The civic body has 2,24,399 property tax assessments,
1,22, 491 water charges assessment, 17,587 vacant land tax assessments
and 2,512 non-tax assessments.
The aim of the revenue wing of the Corporation was to
collect Rs. 102.21 crore in property tax, Rs. 20.42 crore in water
charges and Rs. 30.79 crore in vacant land tax.
There is no target for collecting dues under the
‘miscellaneous’ and ‘non-tax’ heads because they include month rental,
revenue from lease items, encroachments levy, etc.
Thus far, the Corporation officials have managed to
collect Rs. 74.92 crore in property tax, Rs. 13.75 crore in water
charges, Rs. 5.58 crore in non tax and Rs. 20.47 crore under
‘miscellaneous’ head.
Officials say they have set up tax collection centres,
called Facilitation Centres, in each of the four zones and four more at
the Corporation’s main office, Sungam, on Mettupalayam Road and at
Tatabad.
In addition to the tax collection centres, the
Corporation also tied-up with banks to facilitate payment through
internet banking.
All that assessees had to do was enter their assessment number, follow a few steps and pay online through their bank account.
This financial year, the Corporation has received Rs. 37.40 lakh towards property tax, Rs. 6.06 lakh towards water charges.
The Corporation also enabled assessees to use their debit/credit cards at the facilitation centres.
Through this method, it has managed to collect Rs. 6.26 lakh towards property tax and Rs. 54,900 towards water charges.
The officials event went to the extent of tying up with
banks to enable automatic deduction of property tax and water charges
based on account holders’ written consent.
How much the civic body has collected will be known only
a little later as the civic body has to coordinate with the banks to
get the details.
Officials say their aim is to collect 100 per cent
property tax and water charges. They have warned of penal action and
other measures against defaulters.
The Corporation has also displayed the list of defaulters on its website.