In order to bring more people into the tax-fold, the Municipal Corporation of Karimnagar (MCK) has decided to launch special trade licencing mela at the municipal office in Karimnagar town from March 19 to 21.
Ironically, though there are several traders in the town, only a few have trade licences with them. Against the target of collecting ₹60 lakh during the financial year 2019-20, the authorities could collect only ₹10 lakh so far.
Accordingly, the MCK authorities have decided to launch a special mela to issue trade licences to all the traders in the town.
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Disclosing this to newsmen here on Thursday, Municipal Commissioner Valluru Kranthi said that only 850 traders have applied for trade licences in the town, when there are more than 5,500 traders doing various businesses. Appealing to all the traders to apply of trade licences, she said that they had simplified the procedure and informed them to come with personal details, ID proof, trade name, lease deed or rental agreement or self-certification.
She said that the sanitation staff would be visiting each trader in the town and distribute the application form for applying for the trade licence during the three-day mela. She also said that they would launch a special drive for the recovery of pending arrears from the traders. The trade licence fee ranges from ₹ 850 per annum to ₹12,000 per annum for different trades.
With regard to the collection of property tax to the tune of ₹ 26 crore during this financial year, she said that they had achieved 67% of the target. She urged people to pay property tax on time and avoid penalisation of 2% interest on the tax and added that the bill collectors are already in the field for the collection of taxes.
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With regard to the drive against the encroachments of footpaths, she said that they are removing all encroachments on the main R&B roads on a priority basis, and later on other roads in the town.
She also said that all illegal encroachment of roads by auto-wallahs will be cleared with the help of police in otder to regulate the smooth flow of traffic.
Ms. Kranthi said that the MCK authorities are taking all measures for launch of daily water supply in Karimnagar, tentatively in the first week of April, and before a trial run is to be conducted to check for leakages and other problems.