Huge tax mop-up recorded in Karimnagar

karimnagar: Heavy tax collections have been recorded in two municipal corporations and in 13 municipalities in the erstwhile Karimnagar district. As a result, treasuries of the municipalities and municipal corporations are filled with funds. For the last two years, a 50 per cent interest rebate has been given for property tax collection. This year, the percentage of collection is huge despite no offers.

Field staff is assigned a specific goal. Revenue staff had been hitting the streets since morning and did not leave until the citizens paid taxes including the arrears. The names of municipalities and bill collectors that did not reach the target are displayed on official WhatsApp groups every day.

In the 2021-22 financial year the highest tax collection was in Sircilla and the lowest was in Manthani. Considering the property tax collections in the last financial year, it is estimated that more than 70 to 90 per cent was collected, according to the municipal department.

In Sircilla it is 99.05, Korutla 97.58, Metpalli 97.48, Huzurabad 95.76, Kothapalli 94.93, Choppadandi 92. 22, Raikal 87.4, Karimnagar 85.57, Peddapalli 84.72, Dharmapuri 81.94, Sultanabad 81.18, Vemulawada 78.63, Ramagundam 78.6, 52, Jagtial 73.79 and in Manthani 52.59 per cent property tax was collected.

Due to the Covid lockdown, revenue from property tax halved in the past couple of years. It led to a lot of trouble due to the lack of general funding. Without paying any bills, salaries have to be adjusted in advance.

This time the revenue for the respective municipalities has increased due to the absence of such problems. In addition to property tax, taxes such as tap bills, trade licenses and billboards tax are also levied heavily.

Sircilla Municipal Commissioner Veldandi Sammaiah told The Hans India that the municipality has 39 wards and teams have been formed ward wise with one ward officer and one bill collector for every ward.

Every morning staff visited each household to collect property tax. For every 10 wards a special officer is appointed. The special officers visited the highest tax pending house which has a due of Rs 10000 and above, he explained.

A businessman from Huzurabad, Vakulabharanam Venkateshwar said that Huzurabad Municipality is charging a huge amount of trade license fees. Last year the trade license fee was Rs.1000. Demand notices are being issued to collect trade license fees of Rs. 3080 and Haritha Haram charge of Rs. 1000 for the year 2021-22. But even in the Greater Warangal Municipal Corporation there is no such fee. For the year 2022-23 they collected only one thousand rupees. It is cruel and unfair for the Huzurabad municipality to charge so much.

Officials and politicians have to respond immediately to reduce the general trade license fee like it was in last year, all Huzurabad traders are requesting, he said.