The South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) has earned record revenue in the first quarter of 2013 by collecting Rs 310 crore from property tax alone, and registering an increase of Rs 167 crore than the corresponding period, last year.
The revenue collection so far is also more than the total amount collected last year by the three Corporations — Rs crore. Officials said this is the all-time-high collection of the civic body from property tax; the previous being Rs 143.52 crore during the first quarter, last year.
“As compared to corresponding period in last financial year 2012-13, the growth of revenue has been to the tune of Rs 167 crore and in percentage term is about 117 per cent. This consists of manual collection of Rs 197.33 crore and online collection of Rs 112.57 crore,” said BN Singh, Assessor and Collector of SDMC.
In the first quarter of financial year 2012-13, the total collection of the three Corporations was Rs 290 crore. “In the present financial year (2013-14), the SDMC has been able to surpass the total revenue of all the three Corporations together collected in the first quarter of financial year 2012-13,” Singh added.
Singh attributed the record revenue to the base work done by the employees of the Property Tax Department of SDMC, which resulted into greater awareness among the property taxpayers.
“Another contributory factor is that at the policy level, the Corporation has brought changes, particularly, rationalisation of tax structure and reforms, which too have contributed to the positive growth,” he added.
The annual target of the Property Tax Department, SDMC for the financial year 2013-14 is Rs 702 crore. With this achievement, 44 per cent of the annual target has been realised in the first quarter itself.