Financial year 2015-16 saw the Coimbatore Corporation collect 93 per cent of its total property tax demand of Rs. 130.65 crore.
According to Commissioner K. Vijayakarthikeyan, notwithstanding the fact that the officials were pulled into election duty in the last couple of months, the civic body had managed to collect Rs. 120.66 crore.
Though the percentage of collection was the same at 93, the civic body had collected Rs. 7 crore more than last year, thanks to the increase in assessments.
Central Zone topped the collection as the property tax collection had touched 93.94 per cent closely followed by West Zone at 93.81 per cent. As in last year, South Zone was at the bottom of the list with 86.99 per cent collection.
Online payment
Last financial year, after the introduction of the payment of property tax using net banking facility, more than 36,000 assessees had paid tax online and the money they had paid amounted to Rs. 6.12 crore.
Likewise, more than 17,000 people with water connection had paid Rs. 1.34 crore online.
To boost the tax collection percentage and make people pay in time, the Corporation had to employ various methods, including coercive action. It had disconnected water connection to 44 assessees after they failed to clear their dues. It had also placed bins in front of five establishments whose owners, too, did not pay tax.
Dr. Vijyayakarthikeyan said that by December, the Corporation had identified the top 100 high tax value assessees across the city and sent its workers to ask them to pay in time. This paid dividends as the people responded and paid in time. This intern increased the collection percentage.
Thereafter, it targeted the top 50 high value assessees in each of the five zones and asked them to clear dues, he added.
