Tirupati: The Municipal Corporation of Tirupati (MCT) is sweating it out to collect dues related to property tax and water charges with only three weeks left in the current fiscal. While the local body has collected 74 per cent of the targeted property tax, barely 38 per cent of people have paid their water bills so far.
Official data for financial year 2022–23 shows MCT has received ₹53 crore towards property tax, against the targeted ₹72 crore. But users have paid just ₹3.57 crore towards water charges against ₹9.42 crore. Payment towards vacant land tax is ₹8.4 crore of total ₹15 crore.
MCT revenue officer Keerthipati Lokeswara Varma told Deccan Chronicle “Property tax recovery drive has netted a decent revenue this year so far compared to the previous years. But the collection of water and UDS charges, apart from vacant land tax is less. We have issued notices warning that water connection will be cut off if they do not make their payment within 15 days.”
Tirupati municipality is spread over 27.44 sq. km. Civic data shows there are 68,894 private properties liable to pay property tax, apart from the state and central government offices, the TTD and other government and non-government organisations. According to officials, owners of 17,912 private properties are yet to pay taxes.
Expressing concern over lower tax recovery rate, MCT commissioner Anupama Anjali has directed the revenue department officials to speed up collection of pending taxes, water and UDS charges, in addition to vacant land tax.
Varma said: “Revenue officials, along with ward secretariat staff, such as administrative, amenities, welfare and mahila security secretaries and volunteers are visiting wards on a daily basis and persuading taxpayers to paying their taxes on time.”
The MCT revenue officer urged citizens to cooperate with civic authorities in payment of taxes, citing improvement in civic services and significant growth in amenities.
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