The Department of Municipal Administration and Urban Development (MA&UD) has launched a rigorous campaign against property tax defaulters, targeting both Central and State institutions as well as private landowners. The action follows a statewide review meeting led by Principal Secretary S. Suresh Kumar, who underscored the urgent need to recover dues to improve municipal financial health.
According to the department’s latest data, the total outstanding tax dues across Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) amount to approximately ₹5,480 crore. This includes ₹1,680 crore from Central institutions, ₹962 crore from State departments, ₹1,860 crore in Vacant Land Tax (VLT) arrears and ₹978 crore entangled in court cases.
Among State institutions, the biggest defaulter is A.P.-Transco’s 132KV Yard in Kalyanadurgam, which owes ₹2.56 crore. In Cheemakurthy, A.P. Social Welfare Gurukula Patasala owes ₹1.34 crore, while the Mandal Revenue Office there owes ₹26 lakh. Other State defaulters include the office of Executive Director of the Scheduled Caste Corporation in Kakinada with ₹27 lakh in arrears towards the Peddapuram ULB, and the Electrical Substation Office in Darsi, which owes ₹25 lakh. Collectively, these top five State institutions owe ₹4.68 crore.
Defaulters among Central entities are even more prominent. The Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Limited (RINL-Visakhapatnam) under the Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) alone owes the civic body a staggering ₹778 crore on vacant land and an additional ₹584 crore on non-residential properties tax, making it the largest tax defaulter in the State.
Other Central bodies with substantial dues include office of the Development Commissioner of Visakhapatnam Special Economic Zone, which owes ₹33 crore, the Visakhapatnam Port Trust with ₹22 crore and South Central Railway in Vijayawada with ₹13.51 crore. Together, these institutions owe the civic bodies ₹1,430.51 crore.
The Principal Secretary has directed all municipal commissioners to issue statutory notices to these defaulters within a week. Additionally, the ULBs must publicly disclose the names and details of defaulting properties to initiate a more transparent enforcement process.
Officials were also instructed to identify properties not yet captured in the tax network and place notice boards on-site to warn of imminent legal action if dues remain unpaid, especially regarding vacant land holdings.
Published – August 02, 2025 09:16 pm IST
