The Deccan Chronicle 16.11.2010
GHMC for taxing pools, coffee shops, hostelsHyderabad, Nov. 15: The GHMC has proposed to levy tax on 40 different trades including coffee shops, hostels and private swimming pools. Officials have identified 40 trades that will be included in the trade licence list from the ensuing financial year.
The GHMC first needs a clearance from the elected body of corporators. The corporators have asked the officials to see whether GHMC can seek a share in Value Added Tax from the state government. The corporation hopes to raise an additional `20 crore.
The officials included the proposal in the draft budget estimates of GHMC for 2011-2012. These estimates were discussed at length by the Standing Committee of corporators on Monday.
The committee decided to meet again on Tuesday to take a final call on adding new trades in the trade licence bracket and other proposals.
In the draft estimates of the budget, it has also been proposed to enhance garbage collection fee from commercial establishments and enhance fee for film and television shootings in GHMC’s parks and other properties.
Compared to the current financial year budget, there is an increase of 22.30 per cent in the draft budget estimates for 2011-2012 . The proposed outlay for 2011-12 is `3,226.22 crore against an outlay of `2,637.77 crore for 2010-11.
The total revenue income has been pegged at `1,631.62 crore while revenue expenditure is expected to be `1,239.46 crore, there by making it a surplus budget of `392.16 crore. The budget allocated for poverty alleviation is `171.40 crore.
Elsewhere, the mayor, Ms Kartika Reddy, urged the state government to extend the date for the disposal of pending applications under the Building Penalisation Scheme up to March 31, 2011. The last date for the disposing off BPS applications was November 15.
The mayor wrote a letter to the municipal administration minister, Mr Anam Ramnarayan Reddy, that over 40,000 BPS applications were still pending clearance with the GHMC even as the BPS scheme came to an end on Monday.
She said the corporation will stand to raise nearly `200 crore more by clearing these 40,000 applications if it gets more time.
