The Hindu 26.03.2013
Interest waiver spurs property tax collection
Interest waiver announced by the government has
stimulated payment of property tax collection in GVMC. Remittances pick
up only in March with interest waiver becoming almost an annual feature.
In GVMC, however, certain measures have led to realisation of more tax
early in the year without waiting for March.
“During
the past five days the daily collection has been between Rs.1.5 crore
and Rs.2 crore and the total collection about Rs.10 crore,” Deputy
Commissioner (Revenue) R. Somannarayana told
The Hindu
.
However, the loss due to interest waiver is estimated at a whopping Rs. 10 crore.
Against
Rs. 170 crore demand that can be collected this fiscal, the collection
so far has been Rs.127 crore with 2.6 lakh of the 3.7 lakh assessees
paying. “Contrary to popular perception that big tax payers are spared
and common people are targeted, commercial establishments have so far
paid 75 per cent of the Rs. 75-crore demand,” the DCR said.
The
GVMC has taken advantage of technology and sent its personnel armed
with a tablet PC to identify establishments. Current details of the
buildings identified are assessed and fed into it and compared it to the
old status of measurements, usage like commercial/residential etc. “It
sends the details to the main office online and generates a special
notice. There can hardly be any ground once the notice is generated and
it is difficult to contest it on vague reasons,” says Mr. Somannarayana.
About
1,000 such assessments have resulted in Rs. 2 crore more than they
would have normally paid resulting in 158 per cent more collection, he
said.
No online facility
However,
online payment that has been promised this year did not materialise.
Payment through all banks also did not materialise. In spite of making
arrangements like printing books etc., the proposal did not make
progress because GVMC wanted the banks to set up servers.
“At
first they agreed for depositing the collection weekly once in
specified banks but later wanted it to be done every day and asked us to
set up the servers and the matter got stuck there,” said official of a
pubic sector bank that announced it would accept GVMC tax receipts.
Customers who went to pay returned disappointed.
Mr. Somannarayana said that it was for the banks to set up the servers.
During the past five days the daily collection has been between Rs.1.5 crore and Rs.2 crore, says official.
