Vijayawada: Faced
with a cash crunch, the Vijayawada Municipal Corporation is planning to
improve its financial position by streamlining revenue and tax
collections in the city.

It may be noted that the VMC
officials were successful in collecting vacant land tax to a tune of Rs
7.3 crore during 2012-13, collecting nearly Rs 64 crore during 2012-13
against the target of Rs 71 crore.

Municipal commissioner G.S.
Panda Das has been taking the initiative to improve the financial
position of the corporation by streamlining the tax collections. As part
of these efforts, in a review meeting organised at circle III here on
Tuesday, Das warned the officials of disciplinary action, if they fail
to collect taxes pending for the past several years.

He asked the
officials to initiate steps to collect taxes from those who approached
courts. The commissioner also asked the revenue inspectors to improve
tax collections during 2012-13 and concentrate on collecting dues. He
told officials to seal the shopping complexes, if the owners fail to pay
the taxes.

Das directed the officials to discontinue the services
being provided by the VMC if the people fail to pay the taxes. He also
asked the officials to upload information of property taxes dues on the
VMC’s website.

It may be noted that Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar
Reddy had recently agreed to sanction Rs 50 crore to the VMC. These
funds and the money collected through taxes would go a long way in
improving the financial condition of the corporation.