Minister for Municipal Adminstration, IT and Industries K.T. Rama Rao can take pride in that the Sircilla municipality, falling under the Sircilla constituency which he represents, has clocked near 100% property tax collection with about ₹439.80 lakh or about 99.17% for the year 2021-22.
The closest municipalities in the second position are Jagityal’s Metpalli at ₹199.49 lakh or 97.94%, followed by Siddipet’s Husnabad at ₹104.11 lakh or 97.90% and then comes Alampur in Gadwal(Jogulamba) at ₹28.20 lakh or 97.81%.
In fact, there has been a slight reduction in the property tax collection for the last financial year of 2021-22 from the Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) across Telangana at ₹698.25 crore or 86.04%. of the demand raised. This is against collection of ₹710.34 crore in the preceding financial year (2020-21) of ₹719.34 crore or about 90.01%
Senior municipal officials have attributed the cut in the tax collection to the government deciding to dispense with the usual policy of giving tax rebates and waiver in penalties in March to ensure tax payers flock to pay up. “Every year municipal bodies and citizens have been looking for waiver of penalty amount at the end of every financial year when in actual practice, the property tax has to be paid in advance,” they said, pleading anonymity.
While there is no proposal as such to “hike” or “rationalise” tax structures in the municipalities, the department armed with satellite data has sounded the government about collecting pending revenues from “under-assessed” or “non-assessed” properties.
In the meantime, municipal commissioners concerned have been directed to appoint special officers to impose heavy fines on recalcitrant defaulters. Revenue redress melas are to be held every Sunday and Wednesday to resolve taxpayers’ grievances to to ensure collections. Apart from online payment system, a WhatsApp chatbot number 9000253342 is also functional to make the PT payments, they said.
Among the better performing municipalities which have mopped up more than 95% collection are: Jagityal’s Metpalli ₹199.49 lakh or 97.94%, Korutla at ₹302.55 lakh or 97.61%, Siddipet ₹1080.93 lakh or 96.59%, Gadwal(Jogulamba)’s Waddepalle at ₹43.29 lakh or 95.84%, Karimnagar’s Huzurabad at ₹173.19 lakh or 95.79%, Bhadradri’s Manuguru ₹159.61 lakh or 95.53%, Karimnagar’s Kothapalli at ₹53.05 lakh or 95.04%, Medchal Malkajgiri’s Kompally at ₹775.03 lakh or 95.02%., Medchal Malkajgiri’s Medchal ₹716.84 lakh or 95.10%, Peerzadiguda municipal corporation ₹886.51 lakh or 95.81% and Rangareddy’s Shamshabad ₹780.54 lakh or 95.26%.
Among the laggards are: Rangareddy’s Pedda Amberpet at ₹575.67 lakh or 51.87%, Kamareddy’s Yellareddy at ₹51.98 lakh or 58.77% and Nagarkurnool’s Atchempeta at ₹163.73 lakh or 53.70% and Mancherial’s Mandamarri at ₹111.95 lakh or 54.23%
