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Taxation

Civic body creates new records in tax recovery and capital expenditure

Monday, 04 March 2013 07:45 administrator
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The Times of India                   04.03.2013 

Civic body creates new records in tax recovery and capital expenditure

SURAT: Bucking the trend of recession and slow growth rate , Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) has set new records this year in tax recovery and capital expenditure works are concerned.

Against an all time high collection of Rs 315 crore in year 2011-12 , civic body has already crossed the collection figures of Rs 324 crore and likely to cross Rs 425 crore by March , 31, 2013.

SMC issued tax bills to the tune of Rs 488 crore in the city to it's 14.5 lakh property owners.

In Infrastructure development work expenditure , it spent Rs 840 as it's highest, two fiscal years ago in 2011 . This year it has already spent Rs 885 crore till date and is likely to cross the figure of Rs 1100 crore for the first time in it's history by March , 31, 2013. " We are determined to meet our targets and increase it by 30 per cent in every coming year, " said Sharad Mehta, deputy commissioner (finance), SMC.
Last Updated on Monday, 04 March 2013 07:47
 

Congress pays 10-year tax dues on office building

Monday, 04 March 2013 07:15 administrator
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The Times of India                   04.03.2013 

Congress pays 10-year tax dues on office building

SURAT: The city unit of the Congress has paid property tax dues of ten years on its office building here amounting to Rs 1.09 lakh following an intense tax recovery campaign by the BJP-ruled Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC). The Congress had called a meeting of its local leaders recently and thus raised the tax amount.

City unit Congress president Ashok Jirawala said, "It came to our notice that property tax dues were pending. We have paid them and the issue is over."

Mayor Raju Desai said, "SMC seals properties of common people who default in paying taxes amounting to just Rs 1000. How the Congress that had not paid the property taxes for ten years could then be spared?"

A former city unit Congress president said, "The party certainly has suffered a loss of face for not paying property tax dues for ten years."
Last Updated on Monday, 04 March 2013 07:45
 

Pay more for water from April 1

Monday, 04 March 2013 06:10 administrator
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The Hindu                                  04.03.2013

Pay more for water from April 1

 
Secunderabad Cantonment Board defends move, cites mounting input costs.

This summer, residents of the Secunderabad Cantonment Board (SCB) will not only have to deal with insufficient water supply but also bear higher water bills. The new rates will be effective April 1.

The SCB has approved a hike in monthly tariff for domestic consumers from Rs.125 to Rs.275 and for apartment buildings with 10 flats from Rs.1, 250 to Rs. 2,815. For every additional flat, the charges will be Rs. 337.50 as against the existing Rs. 150.

“We are shocked. Water is supplied once in three days at Karkhana, Mudfort, Kakaguda, Vasavi Nagar, Sikh Village and many other areas. It would be better if authorities improve water supply than increase charges,” says A.E. Vijay Kumar, secretary, Secunderabad Cantonment Citizen Welfare Association.

Big price to pay

Regularisation charges of unauthorised water connections have also been increased from Rs.10, 000 to Rs.15, 000. Further, authorities have set a deadline of March 15 for regularising illegal connections.

There are nearly 15,000 water connections in over 300 residential colonies and 125 slums. But there could be at least 10,000 illegal connections across the cantonment, concedes a senior official.

Four special teams have been formed to detect illegal connections and if any, apart from levying huge penalty, water connections would not be sanctioned to such consumers, said the official.

The new charges have been approved by the SCB’s elected board members. The file will now be sent to the SCB President Sunil S. Bodhe for formal approval, he said.

The rationale

Defending the move, authorities list out many reasons for increasing water charges.

The Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (HMWSSB), which supplies about 45 lakh gallons a day to the SCB, had already increased water charges from Rs. 6.50 per kilolitre to Rs. 13.50 per kilolitre since November 2011.

Revenue collections

The SCB runs up a monthly water bill of about Rs.1.06 crore, while its revenue collection is to the tune of Rs. 30 lakh, an SCB official said.

The last time water charges were raised was in June 2008 — from Rs. 86 per month to Rs. 125. Since then, maintenance costs have gone up drastically and so has the demand for water. Every month, about Rs. 20 lakh is required for power supply and maintenance of pump houses in the SCB.

Considering all these, charges have to be increased, says the official.

Last Updated on Monday, 04 March 2013 06:12
 
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