ONGOLE: The Ongole Municipal Corporation (OMC) has intensified efforts to maximise collection of pending property tax, vacant land tax and water tax for the current financial year. With a demand of around Rs 41 crore, officials are aiming to secure funds crucial for development projects and essential services before the end of March.
Commissioner Dr K Venkateswara Rao convened a special meeting with revenue inspectors and ward secretariat staff, directing them to focus on long-pending defaulters. He urged officials to inform residents about the government’s scheme offering a 50% waiver on interest if dues are cleared in a single payment, and to raise awareness to ensure compliance.
To pressure defaulters, OMC staff have begun disconnecting water connections in areas such as Srinagar Colony on Kurnool Road. Officials said the corporation must collect Rs 23.26 crore in property tax, Rs 10.79 crore in vacant land tax, and Rs 8 crore in water tax, with another Rs 6 crore pending from various sources.
Authorities warned that failure to meet collection targets could disrupt summer drinking water supplies and delay development projects. Already, tanker owners supplying water to suburban colonies have not been paid for six months, with only one month’s bills cleared recently. OMC currently operates 230 tanker trips daily, and officials cautioned that services may halt in April if pending bills remain unpaid.