The cost of living in AP will become slightly higher in the days to come
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Hyderabad: The cost of living in AP will become slightly higher in the days to come, with the government seemingly inclined to give its nod to several proposals to raise charges for various services.
Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu is expected to take a final decision on the proposed hike in RTC bus fares and water cess. Officials said the government has already decided to increase land value and structure rates, stamp duty and registration charges.
A senior official in the transport department said that AP government was waiting for TS to hike bus fares so that it could make a similar announcement. The officials said that a 5 to 10 per cent hike is imminent.
The government also has to take a decision on water cess, which was last revised in 1996. The government has fixed '631.56 crore as the target from water cess in the ongoing financial year, an increase from Rs 86.08 crore target last year.
Chief secretary I.Y.R. Krishna Rao, in a recent meeting with revenue and other officials, had said that the water cess has to be revised. Following this, the officials sent proposals to the government, which have not been made public.
The government has fixed Rs 631.56 crore as the revenue target from water cess in the ongoing financial year, a steep increase from the Rs 86.08 crore target last year. The state government has also decided to increase the land value this year. According to rules, the government has to revise the land value on August 1 every year.
Last year, there was no revision due to bifurcation and land pooling for the capital city. However, the government had appointed a three-man committee, headed by revenue principal secretary J.C. Sharma, to look into the issue. The officials told the government to revise the land values in the present financial year, following which, the collectors (for urban areas) and joint-collectors (for rural areas) were asked to prepare guidelines for the land value revision.
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