Andhra Pradesh government sets 20% revenue boost target for civic bodies
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Vijayawada: In a decisive move to expedite developmental works ahead of next year's civic body elections, the state government has directed all municipal commissioners to launch a special drive aimed at boosting revenues.
The government has asked civic bodies to constitute special teams to conduct surprise inspections and bring unauthorized buildings into the tax net. Commissioners have also been instructed to identify anomalies in
property tax assessments
to generate additional revenue for the state exchequer.
District collectors have been tasked with closely monitoring the process, as the government seeks to demonstrate tangible improvements in urban development.
Ruling NDA legislators have been advised not to interfere in taxation matters, with the rationale that higher revenues will enable civic bodies to undertake more developmental works in their constituencies.
Sources revealed that Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu has asked legislators to fully support officials in identifying tax evasion, aiming to showcase a clear contrast with the previous administration.
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"The previous YSRCP government completely neglected development in towns and cities by failing to release funds for civic works. It even withheld payments to contractors who carried out minor repairs. The urban population strongly opposed YSRCP due to its negligence," observed municipal administration minister Dr Narayana.
He added that the current government has empowered municipal bodies to utilize collected tax revenues independently, without routing them through the Comprehensive Financial Management System (CFMS).
"We have instructed municipalities to adopt stringent measures to prevent tax evasion. They must think innovatively to enhance revenue," he stated.
Dr. Narayana emphasized that despite booming construction activity across the state, tax collections have not kept pace. "Every new building must be brought under the tax net with accurate assessments," he directed.
The government has set a target of achieving a 20% increase in total revenues for the current fiscal year. However, Guntur Municipal Commissioner (GMC) Puli Srinivasulu has set an ambitious goal of 30%. "Our special drive to detect anomalies will begin Monday. We expect a 30% increase in revenues following these inspections," said Srinivasulu. He mentioned that he would personally inspect select households to verify the accuracy of their tax assessments, noting that the tax growth rate in recent years has not aligned with actual construction activity.
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