Vijayawada : In an effort to bring educational institutions under the tax net, the Vijayawada Municipal Corporation (VMC), of late, slapped notices on as many as 30 schools and colleges, including the institutions managed by the Siddhartha Academy, the Andhra Loyola College, and the Maris Stella College.

The VMC has succeeded in convincing the managements of most of the schools and colleges to pay up the piled up arrears, though most of the institutions, especially those run as `charitable institutions', claim an exemption based on a G.O. issued by the State Government some time ago. However, a few institutions like the Montessori Mahila Kalasala have still not responded to the VMC's demand notice.

The VMC has already realised Rs. 1 crore from about 25 schools, such as the St. Ann's School in Ajit Singh Nagar, the Atkinson School in One Town, the RCM School in Tailorpet and the Amali Convent in Satyanarayanapuram. Nearly 25 to 30 schools have paid taxes ranging from Rs. 40,000 to Rs. 2 lakhs.

VMC officials have done an elaborate exercise and assessed that the Siddhartha Academy, the Andhra Loyola College and the Maris Stella College would alone have to pay close to Rs. 1.5 crores.

The Maris Stella College has urged the VMC to allow it to pay the tax in instalments. It has paid nearly Rs. 5 lakhs, as against a total Rs. 19.85 lakhs. The Siddhartha Academy has paid about Rs. 35 lakhs as against the total of Rs. 88 lakhs, while the ALC would pay Rs. 38 lakhs shortly, VMC sources said.

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