NEW DELHI: Increased rush on financial year-end combined with amnesty scheme led to windfall gains in
property tax collection. It has surpassed the annual target of Rs 625 crore.
The
South Delhi Municipal Corporation (
SDMC) alone collected over Rs 93 crore in property taxes on the three public holidays — Mahavir Jayanti, Good Friday and a Saturday — on which the collection offices remained open. It also gave a discount of 2% on making payments on- line.
Interestingly, the largest chunks of pending taxes have been paid by Delhi Zoo,
Delhi Police and
Air Force.
“The department of assessment and collection under SDMC has succeeded in creating a new record of collecting property tax more than the determined target in the third year in a row. An amount of Rs 691 crore was collected against a target of Rs 650 crore by March 31, 2018. This was made possible by the revenue department officials working closely with the tax payers and making them understand the need of making tax payments before the last date,” a senior revenue department official said.
“During the last three days the department collected Rs 93 crore, including Rs 12 crore from Delhi Police, Rs 20 crore from Zoo and another Rs 30 crore from the Air Force,” the official said.
SDMC commissioner Puneet Goel said that the collection of property tax in substantial amount resulted in execution of developmental projects in large scale.
“Property tax forms major part of the entire revenue collection of the south corporation. Collection of property tax during the just concluded financial year will help in the successful execution of developmental and public interest schemes and make the SDMC localities more advanced in terms of modern public amenities,” Goel added.
The assessor and collector, Rahul Garg, said that the “department was able to make those organisations and societies understand that they come under the ambit of property tax, who were of the view that they were not liable to pay tax.”
