Private players to manage Chennai Corporation’s tax collection data
The collection of property and professional taxes at the Revenue department headquarters must be uploaded daily to keep track of payments and defaulters, by the private contractors.
Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC)
CHENNAI: The Revenue department of the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) has decided to rope in private players to manage tax data collection for statistical records for a period of one year.
On the other hand, Revenue authorities will issue pamphlets and notifications through WhatsApp to remind people to pay property taxes, with only a few days left in the fiscal year.
The collection of property and professional taxes at the Revenue department headquarters must be uploaded daily to keep track of payments and defaulters, by the private contractors.
For statistical purposes, the local body will outsource the task of uploading and managing daily tax-related duties. At least, 10 enumerators will be hired for this purpose, according to the tender document.
The contract will be awarded for one year at an estimated cost of Rs 30.25 lakh each for property and professional taxes. It is noted that the tender will be floated on April 18, and the required documents should be submitted to the concerned authorities at Ripon Building.
A Revenue department official stated that this will help keep track of the tax records for both property and professional taxes in the Chennai corporation.
Meanwhile, the civic body has collected a total of Rs 2,277 crore in taxes, including property, professional, and entertainment taxes, within the city limits as of March 3. Of this, Rs 1,796 crore was collected from property owners, Rs 361 crore from professional taxes, and Rs 58.57 crore from entertainment taxes. During the last financial year (2023-2024), the Revenue department received Rs 1,890 crore in taxes, marking an increase of Rs 387 crore this fiscal, compared to the previous year.
K Bhanuchandran, City Revenue officer, said, "To ensure that defaulters pay their taxes by March 31 for the current financial year, we will organise special camps. Pamphlets and advertisements will be given in newspapers, and notifications will be issued through WhatsApp and SMS. Additionally, announcements will be made via loudspeakers during daily door-to-door waste collection to remind taxpayers to pay tax without penalty."
