In a record-breaking feat, a dozen Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) across Telangana collected 100% property tax of the demand raised in the financial year 2018-19 while another 25 of them collected up to 98%! The tax collection of 25 more municipalities was to the extent of 95%.
Altogether, the ULBs have collected the highest ever amount of about ₹453 crore of property tax in 2018-19, which is a 38.01% increase when compared to 2017-18 when the total amount was nearly ₹328 crore.
₹125-crore rise
Thus, within a year, there was an increase of about ₹125 crore for a demand raised for about ₹504 crore, which means 89% of collection has been done.
Part of the cent per cent club are Suryapet, Peerzadiguda, Kothagudem, Sircilla, Medak, Shadnagar, Naspur, Nagaram, Kyathanpally, Shamshabad, Chennur, Waddepalle.
The near-100% (99-97%) include Kamareddy, Sulthanabad, Adibatla, Kodada, Kagaznaagr, Jagityal, Miryalguda, Bhainsa, Palvancha, Madhira, Jalpally, Boduppal, Korutla, Metpalli, Mahabubnagar, Amangal, Nizamabad, Siddipet, Nagarkurnool, Medchal, Nalgonda, Tandur, Peddapalli, Manthani and Huzurnagar.
ULBs with tax collection up to 95% are Manikonda, Bhongir, Jangoan, Adilabad, Karimnagar (municipal corporation), Parigi, Husnabad, Huzurabad, Armoor, Kalwakurthy, Bellampally, Haliya, Jammikunta, Andol-Jogipet, Meerpet, Luxettipet, Gundlapochampally, Maripeda, Mandamarri, Dhammaiguda, Thumkunta, Turkayamjal, Narsampet, Ramagundam (municipal corporation) and Mancherial.
Thirty-five other municipalities collected tax between 93-85% of the total demand. Collection in the erstwhile 72 municipalities has been ₹380 crore or 91.28% against the demand raised for ₹417 crore.
For the 68 newly declared municipalities, property tax collection has been to the tune of ₹72 crore for a demand raised for ₹87 crore, making it a collection of 82.90%. The increase in collection percentage wise for both these categories is to the tune of 16.17% and 18.12%, respectively.
“In fact, if you compare the collection in the last three years, we have been improving. During the year of demonetisation, we collected 86%; last year it was 90.25% and this year, old ULBs collected 91.28%. Overall, with new ones, it has been 89.83% even with elections being held,” pointed out Director of Municipal Administration T.K. Sreedevi, after felicitating the municipal commissioners and other officials on the weekend.
Early Bird scheme
ULBs have not been lagging behind in Early Bird Scheme either, where 5% rebate is given to tax payers if the payment is made before April 30. For the financial year of 2019-20, it is ₹77.8 crore or 23.59% of the total collection. It was ₹40.8 crore for 2018-19 with the rise in transactions being over 15,000 whereas this time, it is a little over 8,000 transactions.
Top 10 performers are Zaheerabad, Nizampet, Peerzadiguda, Gundlapochampally, Boduppal, Metpalli, Dundigal, Warangal municipal corporation, Mahabubabad and Vemulavada, with tax collection varying between 67-34% of total demand in just one month.
