The Hindu 06.04.2010
Rise in property tax collection
Staff Reporter
| Puducherry Municipality netted Rs. 72 lakh in March |
Rs. 25 lakh, Rs. 27 lakh collected in January and February respectively
Increase is owing to special tax collection drive
PUDUCHERRY: The Puducherry Municipality's property tax collection has substantially increased in the last three months, amounting to Rs. 72 lakh in March alone.
During the months of January and February, the municipality collected Rs. 25 lakh and Rs. 27 lakh respectively as property tax. The municipality has a total of 42,000 property tax assesses.
This was the outcome of a special tax collection drive launched by the municipality in January. The overall tax collection has gained momentum owing to the drive. The response was good, according to Municipal Commissioner D. Asokan.
“In fact, we have collected Rs. 20 lakh in February and Rs. 12.5 lakh in March towards professional tax during the special drive,” he said.
A total of Rs. six lakh has been collected as licence fee towards trade licences in the municipal limits.
A significant achievement of the municipality during the drive was collection of rent from market stalls – Rs. 21 lakh in March alone, the official said.
Entertainment tax of Rs. 22 lakh was collected during the special campaign, he added.
The municipality has started to receive pending payment from cable television operators.
Nevertheless, Mr. Asokan said the operators were seeking a remission of previous arrears from the government and were waiting for a reply. “Payment from the operators is pending. We received about Rs. two lakh during March,” he added.
