Rajamahendravaram: Several panchayats in Rajamahendravaram district are reeling under fund crisis, with several educational institutions and big firms failing to pay taxes to the government.
However, the panchayat officials, who seem to be strict with commoners, are apparently, very lenient with industrialists and educational institutions, even when they have huge tax dues.
Taxes form the major source of income for panchayats. The officials had put up huge hoardings displaying the list of defaulters at several vantage points in the village, conveniently omitting the names of industrialists and big companies, whose tax dues are in lakhs and crores.
Recently, Deputy Chief Minister K. Pawan Kalyan visited Rajamahendravaram to review the progress in villages surrounding the city. During his visit, he questioned the officials over the failure to collect Rs 13 crore tax dues from the Paper Mill management. Later, during a virtual meeting with the DPOs, he asked why tax was not being collected from industrialists and educational institutions.
When one of the officials replied that there was political pressure preventing them from pressurizing the defaulters, Pawan Kalyan directed them to do their work diligently. However, there has been no progress in collection of taxes from big defaulters.
A few managements, reportedly, are approaching courts to avoid payment of taxes. The officials are not able to initiate against many defaulters with political clout, say commoners.
AP Transco, GMR Power Plant, GMR Re-Energy Limited and APEPDCL in Vemagiri and Jegurupadu villages in Kadiyam mandal have Rs 3.01 crore tax dues but the case is pending in the court. Similarly, AP Paper Mill’s tax dues amount to Rs 62.22 lakh but even this money is caught up in a legal battle.
Other defaulters include Ravali Spinners in Peravali mandal Rs 53.76 lakh, NA Hamterd in Divancheruvu Rs 13.35 lakh, Royal Services in Rajanagaram Rs 8.63 lakh, Ratna Agro Rs 9.75 lakh, GGU Rs 29.45 lakh, Gayatrai Educational Society in Divancheruvu Rs 26.24 lakh, Boppana Harshavardhan in Satellite City Rs 28.22 lakh, Sri Krishna Educational Society in Aavapadu Rs 18.91lakh, Oakwood in Divancheruvu Rs 8.90 lakh, PGM School Divancheruvu Rs 7.17 lakh, Delhi Public School Divancheruvu Rs 5.45 lakh.
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