Following an announcement by the Centre that old notes would be accepted to pay utility bills and essential services till Monday, the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) on Friday collected Rs 54.70 crore in property tax in a span of 24 hours.
The GHMC, which was reportedly facing a shortage of funds, saw people line up outside Mee Seva and E-seva centres in the city, to pay property tax that was due for years in some cases.
The Times of India reported that all civic bodies, from the GHMC, to the Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (HMW&SB) and Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA), made record collections.
Quoting sources, the TOI report adds that in Khairatabad, people paid up to Rs 4.22 crore, followed by LB Nagar (Rs 3.18 crore), while areas like Kukatpally saw people clear their dues worth Rs 2.07 crore.
Reports suggested that the Telangana Southern Power Distribution Company Limited (TSSPDCL) collected Rs 75 crore so far this year, while the HMDA collected Rs 4.10 crore.
Meanwhile, it was also reported that customers paid the power consumption charges of not only the present month, but of the next two to three months too.
The Deccan Chronicle reported that one consumer from Banjara Hills paid a whopping Rs 8 lakh in cash towards electricity charges.
“If the power bills are huge and paid in cash, details – including the name of consumer, address and amount paid – would be submitted to the Income Tax department,” an official told the newspaper.
Earlier, the government had said that people can use old notes to pay these two utility bills till 11 November midnight, but that deadline has been extended up to 14 November midnight now.
Also, Union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari announced that collection at toll booths in national highways would be suspended till 14 November midnight.
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