COIMBATORE: The aggressive tax collection drive and the garbage
bin placement strategy seemed to have worked in favour of the city
municipal corporation as the civic body received a total payment of more
than Rs 1 crore on Sunday, the last day of the financial year.

This is in excess of the 87% collected last year and the corporation
will allow the residents to make tax payments till April 5 with a
five-day extension.

The corporation has set a target of 90%
collection this year and officials claimed that it could be the highest
tax collection rate in the state.

“We received about Rs 1 crore
payment on Sunday alone. The total payment collected will be more since
we are giving extension to the residents,” Coimbatore municipal
corporation commissioner G Latha said.

The city corporation is
presently focussing on tax collection for the past two months and so far
the total collection figures have crossed Rs 91.3 crore against the
total demand of Rs 103 crore for the current year.

Total tax
arrear amount to be collected from the city for the current year is Rs
12.4 crore which is expected to go down in the coming days till the
final payment date.

The corporation has 27 collection centres
including the five main zonal offices in the city. The civic body is
also collaborating with 58 branches of 16 main banks in the city through
which the residents can make tax payments.

“The tax drive
seems to be a success and we will now compile a list of defaulters after
the final date and decide on further course of action,” G Latha added.

The corporation has set a maximum tax demand of RS 33 crore for the
central zone which includes major commercial localities like Gandhipuram
and Cross Cut Street. The central zone is followed by the east and west
zones with demands of Rs 21 and 19 crore each respectively.

The civic body had resorted to road announcement campaigns to remind
the residents to make the tax payments. Similarly, the civic body has
also been placing garbage bins in front of commercial establishments
across the city with pending tax payments to ensure that they make the
payments without any delay.