Gram panchayats in Belagavi district, in all, collect ₹110 crore property tax

Belagavi district's gram panchayats collect ₹110 crore in property tax, implement MGNREGA, Swachh Bharat Mission, and water projects.

The 500 gram panchayats in Belagavi district have collected a total of ₹110 crore in property tax this year, Zilla Panchayat Chief Executive officer Rahul Shindhe said in Belagavi on Tuesday.

The district has taken up a drive to mop up revenues for rural local bodies. As a result, gram panchayats have collected property tax from commercial establishments like sugar factories.

The zilla panchayat has facilitated gram panchayats concerned to collect tax from the Sambra Airport in Belagavi. A total of ₹1 crore in arrears has been collected from the airport, apart from the ₹45 lakh in annual property taxes.

The ZP CEO was speaking to reporters during a dialogue organised by the Belagavi Journalists Association on the Information Department premises.

Mr. Shindhe said that following strict implementation of e-aasti documentation and registration, over 20% of all rural property have been converted into e-aasti documents.

All the rural local bodies have saved a total of ₹13 crore, by implementing measures such as off-gridding of out of use borewells, disconnection of illegal borewells, use of LED light bulbs on the streets and others in villages.

MGNREGA has been implemented in all the gram panchayats of the district, creating over 1.1 crore person days. Equal wages of ₹370 are being paid to men and women. The workforce contains at least 57% of women. Useful assets like waterbodies, drainage and school compound walls have been built. Local bodies have been given more powers in choosing works.