Urban development department records 33% hike in revenue

Lucknow: The urban development department recorded 33% increased revenue during the first half of this financial year compared to the previous one. Between Apr 1 and Sept 30 of 2023-24, UP's civic bodies collected Rs 1,054 crore as revenue. In the present year, the collection in the same period increased to Rs 1,401 crore.Officials said that covering more localities under the limits of municipal corporations due to increased urbanisation and expansion of the jurisdiction of some municipal councils meant more households were added and had to pay property tax in return for the urban services being provided. Similarly, stricter compliance through sustained campaigns and drives led defaulters to come forward and pay the fine amounts.While Lucknow Municipal Corporation recorded a growth of 43%, achieving Rs 446 crore in the first half, civic bodies governing Ghaziabad and Kanpur cities also generated additional funds. Officials said the municipal corporations (17) improved their books in comparison to last year, but the most notable performance was recorded in Aligarh, Mathura and Ayodhya.With a geographical information system survey taking place, an increased number of properties were recorded on the system, which helped in mobilising increased property tax. Switching over to an online payment system and providing new services through a mobile app also increased the outreach of the three corporations within the residents.Principal secretary of the department, Amrit Abhijat, said, "Digital data collection and public platforms have certainly helped the smaller corporations to grow. We also organised Samadhan Diwas (public hearing days) to solve the grievances of the public, which encouraged them to come forward and make the payments. Aligarh, Mathura and Ayodhya monitored the daily collections closely and kept looking for new avenues to create more avenues to grow."Aligarh witnessed an increase of 183%, while Ayodhya and Mathura cities witnessed increased tax collections by 139% and 88% respectively. Abhijat said that efforts are being made to record an overall jump of 50% by the end of this fiscal.

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