24% rise in pro professional collection in Ahmedabad

The Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) has recorded a 24% increase this year in the professional tax collected till September, as compared to the same month last year. Also 35% of the target set for property tax collection this year is already in the civic body's kitty.

Talking to the media on Friday, municipal commissioner of the AMC, Guruprasad Mohapatra, said that the civic body had increased its target for property tax collection from Rs504 crore last year to Rs604 crore this year.

"Rs225 crore has been already collected, which means 35% of the work has been done," he said.  He further said that in the financial year 2008-09, the property tax collected by AMC was Rs329 crore. This had risen to Rs410 crore in 2009-10, he said, adding that last financial year (2010-11), the property tax collected was Rs435 crore.

Similarly, for professional tax, there has been an increase in the tax collected this year as compared to last year. "In the financial year 2010-11, the tax collected by September was Rs30.70 crore.

In comparison to last year, we have already collected Rs38 crore by September this month. This means an increase of 24%," said Mohapatra.

Speaking on the repair planned for city's road, Mohapatra said they had identified 103 roads of the city which were 60 feet wide or more.

"These roads will have new designs and will be similar in quality to roads of Mumbai and Delhi. Tenders already floated and work already assigned will be re-tendered with new specifications. The AMC will incur an expenditure of Rs41.15 crore on these roads," he said.

Moreover, there are 524 roads in the city which are less than 60 feet wide; they will be repaired at a cost of Rs55 crore.

Mohapatra also spoke about the metro rail project stating that all new constructions lying within 150 metres of the alignment of the project will be required to take a 'No Objection Certificate' from the AMC's Technical Committee.