VISAKHAPATNAM: The Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) has successfully collected ₹620 crore in property and vacant land taxes for the fiscal year 2025-26, representing a significant increase of nearly 22% from the previous year’s collection of ₹510 crore. This growth can largely be attributed to the expansion of the tax base and concentrated efforts on assessing vacant land, resulting in an additional ₹110 crore compared to the previous year.
Remarkably, April and December 2025 emerged as particularly strong months, adding an extra ₹65 crore compared to the same months in 2024. For instance, collections for April surged from ₹132.11 crore in 2024 to ₹163.7 crore in 2025, while December’s revenue rose sharply from ₹40.55 crore to ₹73.12 crore within the same timeframe. Monthly revenue remained consistently strong throughout the 2025-26 financial year, surpassing the figures from 2024-25.
A 50% interest waiver introduced by the Andhra Pradesh government for urban local bodies also contributed to GVMC’s revenue boost towards the end of the fiscal year. Many taxpayers took advantage of this waiver, settling their dues by paying the principal amount along with half of the accrued interest. To facilitate timely payments, GVMC tax collection offices operated on Sundays and public holidays throughout March.
At the start of the financial year, GVMC prioritized new assessments and tax structure revisions via property inspections, generating an additional demand of nearly ₹90 crore. Two major industries alone accounted for substantial contributions; one had its assessment revised from ₹2 crore to ₹20 crore, and another contributed ₹30 crore, along with additional significant revisions noted in the Madhurawada area.
The remarkable increases in collections during April and December meant that GVMC had already realized around ₹410 crore by December, nearly ₹100 crore more than the same period in the previous year. This bolstered the civic body’s confidence in surpassing the previous year’s collection of ₹510 crore by at least ₹100 crore to reach a target of ₹600 crore. Initially aiming for ₹600 crore, GVMC ultimately exceeded expectations, achieving ₹620 crore.
S. Srinivasa Rao, GVMC’s deputy commissioner of revenue, noted that concentrated efforts began in April, which included monthly review meetings. “The early-bird rebate scheme alone garnered ₹164 crore in April,” Rao stated. “The steady revenue stream contributed to our achievement of ₹620 crore, surpassing our initial expectations. Administrative secretaries also actively issued arrear notices for both past and current dues, resulting in higher collection rates as many taxpayers cleared their outstanding payments throughout the year,” added Rao.
To enhance efficiency, GVMC bolstered its workforce; around 45 inspectors now supervise approximately 15 administrative secretaries each, compared to the previous norm of one inspector per 12,000 assessments, which had resulted in delays due to a lack of sufficient oversight. “Improvements were made at the revenue officer level as well, helping GVMC collect nearly ₹110 crore more than last year,” Rao concluded.
