Property tax based on capital value to weed out graft: Botsa

TIRUPATI:  Minister for municipal administration and urban development Botsa Satyanarayana reiterated that the new resolution to levy property tax based on capital value was being adopted only to eliminate corruption and middlemen from the taxation process.

Speaking to reporters after reviewing the Tirupati Smart City development works with civic officials here on Tuesday, the minister maintained that the percentage of increase would be 0.10 to 0.20 on residential properties and 0.20 to 2.00 percent on commercial properties, whereas on properties below 300 sq. ft. area, which comprised only 25 to 30 percent of total houses in the state, a nominal amount of Rs 50 would be collected.

Meanwhile, during the review meeting, municipal commissioner P.S. Girisha explained the status of various development works taken up in Tirupati under the Smart City project through a powerpoint presentation. According to him, the civic body has taken up the construction of Garuda Varadhi flyover at a cost of Rs. 684 crore under the Smart City project.  

He said, a total of 80 development works were being executed in the city and the civic body was giving much priority to create leisure and lung spaces in the city. As part of this, the MCT had developed the Prakasam and the Padmavathi parks and had taken up beautification of Vinayak Sagar and other lakes in the city. The commissioner also mentioned about the 25 MLD sewage water treatment plant constructed at Thukivakam, from where the treated water would be supplied to industries.

Expressing satisfaction over the successful implementation of door-to-door waste collection and segregation of waste from source point and processing of waste at treatment plants, the minister said the state government would soon set up a waste energy generation plant in Tirupati for the Rayalaseema region.

Commending the efforts of the civic body in keeping the temple city neat and clean, the minister informed that the government had sanctioned an additional fund of Rs 183 crore for the overall development of Tirupati, besides Smart City projects.