Urban News

The Deccan Chronicle  29.11.2010

Nov. 28: The Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority is finalising plans to collect toll tax on the Outer Ring Road from the new year. The toll tax rates are likely to be between Rs 25 and Rs 160 based on the type of vehicle and the distance travelled. The government will take a final call on the toll rates.

The HMDA has already sent its proposals to the government and is now awaiting approval. Earlier the plan was to start toll tax collection in the current calendar year, but this was delayed due to the change of guard at the State level.

It is expected that the toll tax proposals are likely to be placed before the new Chief Minister Mr N. Kiran Kumar Reddy after he is done with the Cabinet selection, swearing-in and other important assignments.

Officials are expecting that all formalities with regard to toll tax at the government level will be completed by third week of December, paving the way for HMDA to call for tenders for manual collection of toll in the new year (2011).

“Initially, we plan to collect toll tax manually. It is still to be decided whether the toll gates should be put up at exit points, interchange points or other vantage spots on the ORR. The toll will be confined to only 60-odd kilometres of the ORR that has been completed, i.e. the 24-km stretch between Gachibowli and Shamshabad and the 38-km stretch from Shamshabad to Pedda Amberpet. The toll on the remaining stretch of the 158-km long ORR will be levied as and when it is completed,” a senior official said.

The automated collection of toll tax will take a year to begin. Already six international agencies are in the race for this project and one or two of them will be finalised by March 2011.

The Hindu     29.11.2010

MCC launches property tax collection drive

— PHOTO: M.A. SRIRAM

Initiative:MCC officials collecting property tax from owners in Mysore on Sunday.

MYSORE: The Mysore City Corporation (MCC) conducted a property tax collection drive in a bid to augment its revenue, here on Sunday.

The drive was restricted to zone 9 of the MCC and covered ward numbers 55 to 57 that included parts of Alanahalli, JSS Layout and surrounding areas.

Mahesh, Assistant Commissioner of zone 9, took the lead in conducting the drive and authorities set up an ad hoc counter to facilitate the public to remit property tax.

Though property tax constituted the largest component of the MCC revenue, officials said that less than 50 per cent of the property owners in the city remitted the tax.

Hence, the MCC had conducted a drive to widen the net.

It is reckoned that there are nearly 2.25 lakh properties in Mysore and the authorities want to boost revenue for providing civic amenities. The MCC collected nearly Rs. 49.7 crore by way of property tax during the financial year 2009-10, while Rs. 34.59 crore was collected during 2008-09.

The present drive is to ensure that the collection does not fall below the level of the financial year 2009-10.

The target for zone 9 for the present financial year is said to be Rs. 7.72 crore. Authorities hope to meet the target by creating public awareness about the imperatives of remitting the tax as the revenue is channelised for providing services to the citizens.

The authorities also conducted a publicity campaign to drive home the message that paying tax helps in development of the city.