ANANTAPUR: The residents of Anantapur and other six municipal towns in the district who are having either residential, commercial or industrial premises are likely to pay about double the property tax they used to pay every six months so far for the second instalment of the current financial year.

Authorities of Municipal Corporation of Anantapur and the Municipal Councils of Hindupur, Dharmavaram, Guntakal, Tadipatri, Kadiri and Rayadurg are busy in re-assessing the tax for different categories.

Notices for payment of the hiked tax for the second half of the year would be issued immediately after the assessment exercise.

Officials of the Municipal Administration Department have stated that the State Government had issued two GOs - 467 and 511 - earlier this year increasing the property tax by 75 per cent for residential premises and 150 per cent for commercial and industrial premises.

Accordingly, the property tax collection in Anantapur is likely to be about Rs. 12 crores a year against the present Rs. 6.38 crores.

As per municipal records there are 32,767 residential premises, 12,462 commercial premises and 1,581 cottage industries under its purview. Another bad news for the citizens is that the property tax would now be assessed based on its value instead of its utility.

The CPI(M) has already taken up a signature campaign against the hike in property tax and is planning to mobilise people's opinion.

In spite of having alternative ways to mobilise resources, the civic bodies are only interested in burdening people, the CPI leader alleged.

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