VIJAYAWADA: Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) began the financial year 2026-27 with a bang in collection of municipal property taxes, earning one-third of the current demand in the very first month.
According to the Municipal Administration & Urban Development (MA&UD) Department, ULBs collected Rs 948.15 crore against a current demand of Rs 2,683.50 crore by April 30, 2026, amounting to 35.34 per cent of the demand.
Including arrears and penalties, total collections stood at Rs 1,010.79 crore, compared to Rs 814.12 crore in April 2025, marking a 24.16 per cent overall growth.
Principal Secretary (MAUD) S Suresh Kumar reviewed the performance with Municipal Commissioners via video conference, stressing the need to sustain momentum through technology-driven assessments, citizen facilitation, and targeted recovery of arrears. He noted that the current demand itself had risen from Rs 2,556.71 crore last year to Rs 2,683.50 crore, reflecting improved coverage and identification of taxable properties.
Among Corporations, Kakinada led with 43.28 percent of demand collected, followed by Mangalagiri-Tadepalli (41.21%), Guntur (40.79), Rajahmundry (40.41), and Kurnool (39.59). Vijayawada achieved 39.21, while GVMC collected Rs 230.10 crore, meeting 33.25 of its demand.
In municipalities, Addanki topped with 51.56 percent of demand collected, while Atmakur, Vuyyuru, Vinukonda, Kovvur, Ponnur, Chirala, Piduguralla, Tadigadapa, and Giddalur also crossed the 40% mark.
Officials attributed the improved performance to GIS-based property mapping, drone surveys, digital dashboards, app-based payments, and IEC campaigns. Auto-mutation of urban properties, rolled out in 17 Corporations and 16 Special Grade municipalities, has already processed over 12,000 applications, strengthening transparency and reducing manual intervention.
Citizens were encouraged to pay early through multiple digital channels, including Puramithra and Mana Mitra apps, with a 5 percent rebate offered until April 30.
The Principal Secretary has been holding weekly reviews, spending three to four hours guiding Commissioners, resolving issues, and appreciating high performers. He directed ULBs to pursue arrears from government institutions and PSUs, issue notices to vacant land tax defaulters, and expedite legal follow-up on court-related properties.
MAUD Minister P Narayana said improved collections are vital for strengthening ULBs and delivering better civic services. He emphasised that technology-based verification of unassessed properties will ensure fairness, so compliant taxpayers are not burdened by those outside the tax net.
Suresh Kumar added that blockchain technology will be explored to further enhance data integrity and credibility of municipal property records.
He said the April performance reflects the combined impact of technology, structured monitoring, and field-level engagement, and assured that the momentum will be sustained through continuous reviews and citizen-friendly reforms.