Cash crunch: Tamil Nadu government departments hasten revenue collection

The key departments like Revenue, Municipal Administration and Water Supply, Registration, and Tasmac have been directed to scale up revenue collection, said a senior official. Following this, authorities have started sending demand notices on pending water charges, property tax and commercial tax arrears.

Though the official said the departments have been asked not to harass the public, the notices have sent a sense of uneasiness among traders and property owners.

The panel appointed by the government to recommend ways to revive the State’s economy advised lifting all restrictions by the end of the month. “Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami’s announcement on allowing inter-district buses and trains is an outcome of this advice,” said the official.

According to sources, the Chief Minister had written to the Centre thrice seeking relaxation on borrowing money, and had also reminded it of grants for local bodies and the GST dues. But there has not been any response till now. These dues have added further strain on the State exchequer and local bodies that are already reeling under the impact of the lockdown that was imposed in the last week of March, officials said.

MUCH to the relief of the lockdown hit, Greater Chennai Corporation Commissioner G Prakash has announced that the civic body would extend the deadline to pay property and professional taxes and commercial property licence fee till September 30 without any penalty. 

The civic body had earlier made modifications on its web portal for paying property taxes based on the recent order to withhold the property tax revision in the city.