The Hindu 02.04.2013
VMC tax collection increases by Rs. 7 cr.
The Vijayawada Municipal Corporation (VMC) seems to have improved its tax collections. A jump of Rs. 7-crore in property tax collection is recorded as on March 31, end of 2012-13 financial year. Notwithstanding, the Corporation officials fell short in collecting total demand of Rs. 71 crore.
The property tax collections improved significantly if the demand and receipts were to be considered. The VMC officials could collect Rs. 61 crore as against total demand of Rs. 67 crore during 2011-12. The property tax collections dwindled in 20010-11 to Rs. 47 crore. In fact the fall was witnessed in 2009-10 also. The VMC could collect a mere Rs. 45.01 crore in that year.
The Corporation improved its efficiency in 2008-09, and the property tax collections stood at Rs.45.06 crore. In financial year preceding it, the tax collections were Rs.41.04 crore, including arrears of about Rs.8 crore. The corporation collected Rs. 49.64 crore under property tax during 2009-10 and Rs. 4.96 crore under vacant land tax.
The property tax assessments were 1,15,399 in 2002-03, and tax collections were Rs.31.41 crore, including arrears of Rs. 16 crore. The assessments had gone up to 1,58,000 in 2007-08. Of the Rs. 41.04 crore collected under property tax, arrears alone were to the tune of Rs. 8.5 crore, in 2007-08. The VMC conducted drives from 2007 to 2010. Thereafter, no special emphasis was laid on the tax collection. The Vacant Land Tax (VLT) also improved compared to previous years. The VLT collections stood at Rs.7.34 crore for 2012-13 as against previous year’s Rs. 4.58 crore. From Rs. 50.37 lakhs collected from the existing 1,300 assessments in 2003-04, it went up to Rs. 5 crores from 9,500 assessments in 2007-08.
