KMC: Property tax surges, water charge collections lag

Kurnool: Kurnool Municipal Corporation (KMC) recorded an increase in revenue collection this year, with Rs 71.79 crore collected, surpassing last year’s `Rs 57.34 crore. Additionally, `Rs 9.78 crore was collected in water charges against a demand of `Rs 25.08 crore. However, officials acknowledged that efforts to collect water charges have fallen short.

Last year, KMC set a property tax demand of `Rs 76.09 crore but managed to collect only `Rs 57.34 crore. This year, however, collections improved to nearly `Rs 72 crore, significantly boosting the civic body’s revenue.

Despite the improved property tax collection, water charge collections remain a concern. Officials appear to have prioritised property tax over water charges, resulting in low recovery rates. Last year, out of `Rs 16.64 crore in non-metered water charges, only `Rs 5.20 crore was collected. In the metered category, only `Rs 1.30 crore was recovered against a demand of `Rs 4.10 crore.

This year, non-metered collections improved slightly, with `Rs 7.69 crore recovered against a demand of Rs 19.77 crore. In the metered category, `Rs 2.09 crore was collected against a demand of `Rs 5.30 crore. However, outstanding water dues remain high, with `Rs 14.24 crore pending last year and `Rs 15.31 crore still unpaid this year, bringing the total dues from water users over the last two years to approximately `Rs 30 crore.

"Since there are no penalties for unpaid water charges, people are neglecting their payments. This issue needs to be addressed by raising awareness about the consequences of continued default," said K. Ramakrishna, a taxpayer from the C-Camp area.

Officials took a stringent approach to property tax collection this year, warning residents that civic services would be disconnected if dues were not cleared on time. This firm stance, combined with persuasive efforts, led to a total tax collection of `Rs 81.57 crore, a record achievement for KMC. Despite this success, some residents have yet to respond to the March 31 deadline for tax payments.

Municipal commissioner S. Ravindra Babu and manager N. Chinnaramudu expressed their gratitude to taxpayers who complied, stating that the increased revenue has instilled new confidence in municipal operations.