CHENNAI: Despite no change in tax rates, the Greater Chennai Corporation’s revenue has shot up by 16.82 per cent, thanks to demonetisation.
Submitting the demand of grants for municipal administration and water supply department, Minister S P Velumani said the revenue receipts of GCC for 2016-17 was `2,742 crore and this included property tax collection of `695.46 crore.
Though only `650 crore was set as property tax estimate, the figures shot up post demonetisation as many assesees paid pending dues at special camps setup by GCC across the city in between November 9 and December 30 last year.
The minister also announced that 40 to 45 per cent of works pertaining to restoration of green cover lost to cyclone ‘Vardah’ has been completed and it has been planned to rope in private sponsors like mutlinational corporations, non-governmental organisations and welfare associations to complete the work before July end.
A total of `75 crore has been allocated for restoration and `26 crore had been spent so far, noted the policy note for 2017-18.
The policy note also said that smart city, AMRUT, Swachh Bharat Mission-related works and construction of storm water drains, roads, bridges, parks and Marina beautification project were taken up in full swing.
As far as water supply is concerned, to meet the drought, the department has proposed to treat and supply the available water from Porur lake at the rate of four MLD and it has been planned to commission it by June end.
A project to draw 100 MLD of water from 240 agricultural wells in Tiruvallur, 3,000 MLD from 22 abandoned quarries near Kundrathur was also in progress to meet the drinking water needs of Chennai.
Overall, the State government has claimed that there was no water supply shortage in all 124 municipalities and 11 corporations across the State and works on water supply projects at Pallavaram, Pammal, Anakaputhur, Dindigul and Mettupalayam were in progress.