Violators may have to cough up double property tax

Proposal to this effect is under active consideration of the city corporation. At least one-fourth of the applications received by the town planning wing pertain to plots less than 200 sq. metres. It is learnt that there has been a spurt in violations after the government issued GO 168 in April 2012.

The Vijayawada Municipal Corporation (VMC), in all likelihood, will collect additional 100 per cent property tax (PT) from building owners who have erected structures, in violation of the sanctioned building plan.

The ruling Telugu Desam Party (TDP) is actively considering the proposal to boost the revenues in days to come. Deputy Mayor Gogula Ramana Rao, in a resolution adopted by the VMC council recently, has already asked the officials to conduct a survey of buildings in the city, which were constructed in violation of the sanctioned plans.

If the proposal were to be implemented, tax payers would have to shell out an estimated Rs. 30 crore a year additionally. The worst sufferers would be the people who have constructed their houses in less than 200 sq. metres. Many buildings have come up, reportedly in violation of the norms in Krishnalanka, Ajithsingh Nagar, One Town, and Kothapeta, sources said.

Violation of norms

At least one-fourth of the applications received by the town planning wing pertain to plots less than 200 sq. metres. It is learnt that there has been a spurt in violations after the government issued GO 168 in April 2012, relaxing the norms for plots less than 200 sq. mtrs. The VMC, on average, approves 1500 to 2,000 building plans a year.

City planner S. Chakrapani said: “Generally, we find violations in the buildings constructed in less than 200 sq. metres land. People, after getting approval for buildings for 2,000 sft, often construct the same in 4,000 sft. Thus, the Corporation is losing building licence fee for the additional areas,” he pointed out

Responding to the issue, Mayor Koneru Sridhar said that the GO 168 empowers the Corporation to collect 100 per cent more on property tax. “The VMC, however, is yet to take a decision on the matter. The Corporation has no intention to burden people,” he said.

Further, the VMC has been planning to collect an additional 25 per cent of the property tax from the applicants who have failed to regularise their buildings under the Building Penalisation Scheme (BPS). It is estimated that Rs. 15 crore could be collected from this head. At least 2,000 buildings would have been constructed in violation of the rules, after the BPS came to an end, officials say.