BHUBANESWAR: The Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) has collected a revenue of Rs 100.13 crore during 2016-17 with a record collection of Rs 35.07 crore towards holding tax.
Out of the total revenue, the civic body generated Rs 9.79 crore from user charges, Rs 15.85 crore from advertising, licence fees of Rs 90 lakh, parking fees of Rs 2.41 crore, market rent to the tune of Rs 1.30 crore and other taxes of Rs 29.20 crore.
BMC sources said the holding tax collection during 2016-17 was Rs 12 crore more than the previous financial year. A number of defaulters have paid their arrears this year which has attributed to the surge.
While more than 73,000 holdings (houses paying holding tax) are registered in the City, the number may go up to one lakh after a proper assessment and inclusion of all new holdings. Once all the holdings are included in the City-wide tax base, the civic body would be getting nearly Rs 60 crore alone from holding tax, the sources said.
The online self declaration system has contributed to the rise in advertising revenue which is up by Rs 5 crore. Similarly, the parking fees collection has also witnessed a surge with Rs 1.50 crore hike.
With a 42 per cent surge of tax collection compared to 2015-16 during which BMC had collected Rs 69.55 crore, the civic body has set a target of Rs 130 crore by the end of the current fiscal, the sources added.