Visakhapatnam Civic Body's Property Tax Collections Cross ₹510 Crore, Set to Hit ₹600 Crore
Visakhapatnam, March 25: The Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) has achieved a milestone in revenue collection, with property tax receipts crossing the ₹510 crore mark for the 2025-26 fiscal year. This achievement comes eight days before the close of the financial year and surpasses last year's total collection of ₹500 crore.
Officials are now optimistic about touching the ₹600 crore target by March 31, driven by a state government initiative offering a 50 per cent interest waiver on pending dues and a sustained focus on recovering vacant land tax and arrears.
Interest Waiver Boosts Collections
A key factor behind the surge in collections has been the state government's decision to provide a 50 per cent interest waiver on pending property tax arrears. The waiver applies to both building or house tax and vacant land tax dues, providing significant relief to taxpayers while encouraging them to clear long-pending liabilities.
To facilitate maximum participation, the civic body has extended payment counter hours from 8 am to 8 pm, with counters remaining open on Sundays and public holidays until March 31. This accessibility has enabled more property owners to settle their dues before the deadline.
Focus on Vacant Land Tax and Arrears
S. Srinivasa Rao, Deputy Commissioner (Revenue) at GVMC, highlighted that the corporation has placed special emphasis on vacant land tax and arrears this fiscal year. This focused approach has yielded substantial results.
A large industry recently cleared ₹23 crore in revised taxes, while new vacant land tax assessments brought in ₹15 crore. Additionally, a private infrastructure company paid ₹10 crore in dues that were raised this year. Out of an additional demand of ₹80 crore raised during the year, GVMC has already realized ₹50 crore.
"We expect nearly ₹100 crore in the next week, which will help us cross the ₹600 crore mark for the first time in GVMC history," Rao stated.
Early Initiatives and Strengthened Manpower
The civic body's record-breaking performance is the result of systematic efforts initiated at the start of the financial year. Monthly review meetings were conducted to monitor progress, and an early-bird rebate scheme introduced in April 2025 fetched ₹162 crore in that month alone. By December, the corporation had already reached ₹410 crore in collections.
Strengthening manpower has been a critical component of the strategy. The number of inspectors was increased from 17 to 45, improving supervision across approximately six lakh assessments. Administrative secretaries were directed to personally serve arrear notices covering both past dues and current arrears, prompting many assessees to clear their pending liabilities. Reinforcements at the revenue officer level further streamlined the collection process.
Final Push Underway
With the extended payment window and continued interest waiver in place, GVMC officials are confident that the final week of the financial year will see a significant influx of payments. The combination of policy support, administrative focus, and taxpayer responsiveness has positioned the corporation to achieve its highest-ever property tax collection.
The record revenue is expected to strengthen the civic body's financial position, enabling greater investment in urban infrastructure and public services across the Visakhapatnam region.