Corporation to augment tax collection

KOCHI: Reeling under severe financial crisis, the Kochi Corporation is planning to augment tax collection to overcome the situation.At present the Corporation is finding it difficult to raise funds to pay salary to its employees.“To overcome the situation, we have already asked the Revenue officials to strengthen tax collection.The Town Planning Committee has already prepared a list of unauthorised buildings erected in the city. The officials will soon carry out an assessment of the area of the buildings and evaders will be brought under the tax net,” Mayor Tony Chammany said.The Mayor said that at present the Corporation requires an amount of Rs 5 crore every month to meet its expenses.The list of expenditure includes the payment of salary, pensions and utility charges, including power and water supply.“Severe financial crisis is the major reason for the nonpayment of dues to the striking contractors. We have made an interim arrangement to pay Rs 5 crore each to two sections of striking contractors. One group has already obliged and withdrawn the strike. We hope the other group will also try to understand the gravity of the situation and will cooperate with us,” the Mayor added.However, the civic body does not want to impose any extra financial burden on the civic body during the Onam season. “As the Onam festival is in the first week of September, we will not have to pay the salary in advance,” he added.According to a top Corporation official, the civic body at present gets a revenue of nearly Rs 4 crore every month which is not adequate to meet even its own expenses.“Till last year, the Corporation could manage its monthly expenses with Rs 3 crore. But the recent revision in salary and pension has increased the monthly expenses to Rs 5 crore. Hence, if we do not increase revenue collection it will even affect the functioning of the civic body,” the official added.