VMC achieved steady progress in revenue generation: Mayor

PNS|Vijayawada

The Vijayawada Municipal Corporation (VMC) has made steady progress during the year 2022 in tax collections and other aspects and has been successful in make roads pothole-free in the city.

City Mayor Rayana Bhagyalakshmi briefed the media about the Annual Report 2022 and said that the total demand for property tax was 180.84 crore and the collection up to December 25, 2022, was Rs 105.01 crore. When it comes to Vacant Land Tax, it was Rs 211.05 crore cr but the collection was poor with Rs 16.27 crore. The total water tax demand was 64.26 cr and the collection was 24.03 cr, Sewage Tax demand was 42.29 cr and collection was only 12.74 cr. The demand for Professional tax was 18.47 cr and the collection was somewhat better at 13.48 cr. However, the total collection in 2021-22 was 123.17 cr and the total collection till December 25 was 171.55 cr. Adding to this, the user charges collected from the citizens by VMC was Rs11 cr.

The Mayor said that the VMC in its limits supported the beneficiaries of about Rs 509.1 crore through government schemes such as ‘YSR Pension Kanuka’, ‘YSR Sunna Vaddi’ loans, ‘Jagananna Ammavodi’, ‘Jagananna Thodu’ etc., and 6576 beneficiaries benefited from TIDCO housing in VMC Jurisdiction. Adding to this, a total of 93,310 benefited from the government scheme ‘Pedalandariki Illu’.

She further said that the Municipal Corporation officials with their tireless efforts and utmost dedication have worked towards keeping the city clean every single day by implementing several activities and secured 5th Rank in all India Swachh Survekshan 2022 and also the Clean State / UT Capital and got appreciations of Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy for the efforts of VMC. She also said Vijayawada Municipal Corporation has completed the works of 16 km of CC roads and 18 km of BT roads with Rs 37.25 cr under General Funds and Grants and took up the patchworks/pothole repair works with 6.4 cr budget.

VMC Commissioner Swapnil Dinakar Pundkar said that a total of 2846 sanitary workers were given ESI Health Cards in 2022. VMC is providing safety gear for each worker as well as conducts health camps once every three months. He also stated that the VMC will introduce a vehicle tracking system soon for effective management of garbage from the source to the dumping yard, CCC is tracking 253 garbage-transferring vehicles through GPS. Online Park Ticketing Management System and Online Pollution Control Monitoring Team will be introduced.

Deputy Mayor Avuthu Sailaja Reddy said “The VMC took up Vidyadharapuram Stadium Construction with Rs 6 crore, Canal Bund Beautification with Rs 10 crore, Garbage Transverse Stations at Auto Nagar and SinghNagar with 15 crore. The future projections of VMC are five reservoirs with Rs 15 crore, the Junction Improvements at PCR Junction, Benz Circle and Mahanadu Road with an estimation of Rs 5.69 crore.

Another Deputy Mayor Bellam Durga said “ As a part of city beautification, the VMC is developing Iconic Park by spending Rs 7 crore, Ambedkar Park with 1 Rs crore, DR. KL Rao Park with Rs 2 crore and Gandhi Hill by spending Rs 2.5 crore.