DHARWAD: The cash-strapped Hubballi-Dharwad Municipal Corporation (HDMC) has managed to collect a record amount of over Rs 100 crore in the form of property tax in the first seven months of the financial year 2024-2025, thanks to initiatives to make the tax payment people-friendly and hassle-free.
By Oct-end this year, the HDMC had collected Rs 100.2 crore against the annual target of Rs 141 crore. This is said to be the highest in the history of the civic body.
The elected representatives of the region, including the councillors, had been criticising the HDMC officials for their alleged laxity in tax collection. The financial health of the HDMC has been in bad shape and the failure on the part of govt to release grants has only compounded the problem. The pressure was mounting on the officials to enhance generation of internal sources.
HDMC commissioner Ishwar Ullagaddi was keen on stepping up the tax collection process and had initiated several measures to help the tax payer to pay the tax hassle-free. Online payment facility was introduced to avoid the tax payers going all the way to the payment counters in rain and scorching heat and wait in long queues.
Point of Sale (PoS) machines were provided to the staff of the tax department to enable them to receive the tax amount at the doorstep of the taxpayer. The 5% concession in tax amount for those making payment in April was first extended till May-end and subsequently till Aug-end. This measure fetched HDMC good revenue.
HDMC deputy commissioner (revenue) Vishwanath PB told TOI that an amount of Rs 55.3 crore was collected in Aug and Rs 9.2 crore in May. June saw a collection of Rs 8.7 crore, July 10.9 crore and Aug Rs 5.9 crore.
However, there was a dip in tax collection in Sept and Oct as only Rs 4.6 crore and Rs 5.6 crore respectively could be collected.
Besides property tax, the HDMC could collect Rs 9.9 crore in the form of penalty, Rs 6.2 crore as solid waste management (SWM) cess and Rs 17.9 crore in other forms.
The HDMC has in its jurisdiction 1.8 lakh houses, 34,665 commercial properties and 1.2 lakh vacant sites taking the total number of properties to 3.4 lakh.
Till Oct-end, 2.5 lakh owners of immovable properties have paid their tax, said an official.
“HDMC has the potential to generate Rs 250 crore every year provided it works towards resolving the legal entanglement involving some of the industrial units and illegal layouts and bring them under the ambit of the civic body,” said former mayor Iresh Anchatageri.
