Andhra ULBs see 24 per cent rise in property tax collections at ₹1,010 cr in April

AMaravati, Andhra Pradesh ULBs feature gathered o'er ₹1,010.7 crore in holding assess in April, including arrears and penalties, marking a 24.1 per cent increase over ₹814.1 crore recorded in the same period last year, a top official said on Sunday.The improved April performance is the result of a structured revenue strategy combining Geographic Information System -based property mapping, drone surveys, digital dashboards and app-based payments, Municipal Administration and Urban Development Principal Secretary S Suresh Kumar said in an official release."Property Tax collections in April crossed ₹1,010 crore, including arrears and penalties, registering over 24 per cent growth compared to the corresponding period last year," he said.He noted that compliant taxpayers should not bear the burden of properties outside assessment, adding that the government remains committed to a transparent, citizen-friendly and accountable municipal revenue system.Kumar said that the Urban Local Bodies collected ₹948.1 crore against a current demand of ₹2,683.5 crore, achieving 35.3 per cent of the demand in April itself.The MA&UD Department noted that the current demand increased from ₹2,556.7 crore in 2025-26 to ₹2,683.5 crore in 2026-27, reflecting improved assessment coverage and identification of taxable properties.Among Municipal Corporations, Kakinada led collections with over ₹29.5 crore against ₹68.3 crore demand, followed by Mangalagiri-Tadepalli, Guntur, Rajahmundry and Kurnool, all achieving over 39 per cent collection efficiency.Similarly, Vijayawada collected ₹85.9 crore against ₹219.2 crore demand, while Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation recorded ₹230.1 crore against ₹691.9 crore demand during the period, he said.Among other ULBs, Addanki topped the performance with a 51.5 per cent collection, followed by Atmakur, Vuyyuru, Vinukonda, Kovvur, Ponnur, Chirala, Piduguralla, Tadigadapa and Giddalur.He added that digital dashboards, verification tools and online payment systems enabled real-time tracking, reduced leakages and improved accuracy of property records across ULBs.The government also simplified payment channels through mobile applications, online gateways and ULB counters, while offering a five per cent rebate to encourage early payments, the release said.Kumar said auto-mutation of urban properties has strengthened service delivery, with over 13,900 applications received and more than 12,000 mutations completed so far.He further said that provisional assessments were created for over 96,000 newly identified properties, including private properties and vacant lands, expanding the municipal tax base.He further said steps were also initiated to recover long-pending arrears from public sector undertakings and government institutions within the next three months.Kumar directed ULBs to issue notices to vacant land tax defaulters and pursue legal follow-up in court-related cases to ensure timely recovery of dues.The Principal Secretary said that the department will explore the use of blockchain technology to enhance transparency, security and credibility of municipal property records.Andhra Pradesh Municipal Administration Minister P Narayana said improved property tax collections are key to strengthening ULBs and enhancing civic infrastructure across the state.He further said that bringing unassessed and under-assessed properties into the tax net through technology-based verification will make the system fairer.This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.