VIJAYAWADA: In a bid to clear long-pending Vacant Land Tax (VLT) arrears, Vijayawada Municipal Corporation (VMC) has formed a special joint committee with NTR district Revenue and Stamps & Registration departments, along with its own revenue and town planning wings.
The committee will coordinate to trace vacant landowners and recover tax dues, which officials believe will significantly boost the revenue of the civic body. According to data, the VMC has about 14,681 VLT assessments in three circles, with a total tax demand of around Rs 230 crore.
For years, the VMC revenue department has failed to collect the dues, citing inability to trace owners and lack of ownership details. Officials have claimed that owners frequently change addresses, making them hard to locate.
Despite repeated complaints from corporators of both parties during council meetings, the corporation has been accused of neglecting tax recovery.
This has resulted in major revenue losses. In the 2024–25 fiscal year, VMC managed to collect only Rs 19 crore of VLT out of a total demand exceeding Rs 237 crore.
Determined to address the issue, VMC Commissioner Dhyanchandra HM wrote to NTR District Collector G Lakshmisha seeking support from the district’s Revenue and Registration departments to recover the pending dues.
The Collector approved the proposal, leading to the committee’s formation.
The first meeting, chaired by the Commissioner, was held a few days ago.
“With the coordination of these departments, anything can be traced. The revenue and planning sections of VMC will provide the entire data of outstanding VLT and available document numbers. As per these numbers, the District Stamp & Registration Office will provide the documents, and notices will be issued based on the addresses in the sale deeds,” he said.
The Commissioner warned that no vacant landowner would be exempt from paying pending taxes and that action would be taken in accordance with the law.