The Hindu         30.03.2011

Coimbatore Corpn. keen to achieve tax targets

Facilitating tax payment: Coimbatore Corporation's efforts to meet tax collection targets have started bearing fruit as almost all assessees have paid their property tax and water charges. – PHOTO: S.SIVA SARAVANAN

Financial year-end is tax-collection time at the Coimbatore Corporation. This year is no different.

The civic body has made elaborate arrangements to ensure that it achieves its tax collection targets.

Sources say as on Tuesday, it has met 80 per cent of its target in collecting property tax, water collection charges, non-tax items, vacant land tax and miscellaneous charges.

The civic body has 2,24,399 property tax assessments, 1,22, 491 water charges assessment, 17,587 vacant land tax assessments and 2,512 non-tax assessments.

The aim of the revenue wing of the Corporation was to collect Rs. 102.21 crore in property tax, Rs. 20.42 crore in water charges and Rs. 30.79 crore in vacant land tax.

There is no target for collecting dues under the ‘miscellaneous' and ‘non-tax' heads because they include month rental, revenue from lease items, encroachments levy, etc.

Thus far, the Corporation officials have managed to collect Rs. 74.92 crore in property tax, Rs. 13.75 crore in water charges, Rs. 5.58 crore in non tax and Rs. 20.47 crore under ‘miscellaneous' head.

Officials say they have set up tax collection centres, called Facilitation Centres, in each of the four zones and four more at the Corporation's main office, Sungam, on Mettupalayam Road and at Tatabad.

In addition to the tax collection centres, the Corporation also tied-up with banks to facilitate payment through internet banking.

All that assessees had to do was enter their assessment number, follow a few steps and pay online through their bank account.

This financial year, the Corporation has received Rs. 37.40 lakh towards property tax, Rs. 6.06 lakh towards water charges.

The Corporation also enabled assessees to use their debit/credit cards at the facilitation centres.

Through this method, it has managed to collect Rs. 6.26 lakh towards property tax and Rs. 54,900 towards water charges.

The officials event went to the extent of tying up with banks to enable automatic deduction of property tax and water charges based on account holders' written consent.

How much the civic body has collected will be known only a little later as the civic body has to coordinate with the banks to get the details.

Officials say their aim is to collect 100 per cent property tax and water charges. They have warned of penal action and other measures against defaulters.

The Corporation has also displayed the list of defaulters on its website.