Chennai, July 16 (IANS) The Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) has extended its special property tax collection drive until July 31 after nearly half of the city’s property owners failed to pay their dues for the current assessment period.

According to corporation officials, out of the 14.23 lakh assessed properties in Chennai, only 6.98 lakh owners have paid their property tax so far. The remaining 7.25 lakh property owners are yet to remit the tax, prompting the civic body to intensify its collection efforts over the next two weeks.

The special collection camps, which began on July 3, were initially scheduled to conclude on July 17. However, considering the large number of pending payments and the need to improve revenue collection, the corporation has decided to continue the camps until the end of the month.

Officials said the extended campaign will be carried out across all 15 zones of the city through dedicated tax collection camps.

Corporation staff have also been instructed to step up awareness efforts and encourage residents to clear their dues before the deadline to avoid the levy of penal interest.

Property tax remains one of the most important sources of revenue for the Greater Chennai Corporation, generating around Rs 1,800 crore annually. The civic body depends heavily on these collections to fund a wide range of public services and infrastructure projects across the city. Between July 3 and July 15 alone, the corporation collected approximately Rs 96 crore through the special camps, indicating a positive response from residents.

Officials, however, noted that a substantial amount is still pending and urged defaulting property owners to make use of the extended deadline.

Revenue generated through property tax is utilised for maintaining essential civic infrastructure and services, including solid waste management, road maintenance, street lighting, stormwater drainage, parks, and other public amenities.

Timely payment of property tax, officials said, is crucial for ensuring uninterrupted civic services and the smooth functioning of the corporation.

Residents can pay their property tax online through the Greater Chennai Corporation’s official portal or visit any of the special collection camps operating across the city.

The corporation has appealed to all property owners with pending dues to complete the payment before July 31 and avoid additional financial penalties arising from delayed payment.

–IANS

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