The urban development department celebrated a significant milestone as the 17 municipal corporations of the state reported a 33% surge in revenue collection, totalling Rs 31.02 billion during the 2023-24 financial year, compared to Rs 23.40 billion in the previous year.
It was noted that Lucknow and Kanpur experienced a notable increase in tax collection, largely attributed to the adoption of technology-driven solutions for tax retrieval from the urban populace. Lucknow Municipal Corporation, including the Jal Kal department, reported the highest revenue increase, rising from Rs 6.87 billion in the previous year to Rs 9.04 billion, while Kanpur saw its revenue climb from Rs 3.98 billion to Rs 5.34 billion. Municipal bodies governing Moradabad, Firozabad, and Mathura witnessed an approximate 70% rise in annual revenue compared to the preceding financial year.
Principal Secretary of the urban development department, Amrit Abhijat, commented that a cumulative framework, GIS-based database, and exploration of new avenues were the primary areas of focus assigned to municipal commissioners to enhance revenue collection.
In a first for the state, incentive-based schemes were introduced, motivating officials leading urban local bodies to perform better. Lucknow and Kanpur led in overall revenue collection, followed by Ghaziabad (Rs 3.50 billion), Prayagraj (Rs 2.53 billion), Agra (Rs 2.15 billion), Varanasi (Rs 1.66 billion), Meerut (Rs 1.21 billion), Moradabad (Rs 940 million), Aligarh and Bareilly (both Rs 840 million), Gorakhpur (Rs 690 million), Saharanpur (Rs 510 million), Jhansi (Rs 470 million), Mathura (Rs 420 million), Ayodhya (Rs 360 million), Firozabad (Rs 310 million), and Shahjahanpur (Rs 210 million).
While house and water taxes remained the primary sources of revenue, tax inspectors deployed in Ghaziabad conducted a comprehensive survey of outdoor advertising billboards and hoardings, resulting in the collection of Rs 180 million from the operating companies.
