The Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) has successfully boosted its self-generated revenue by 17% in the revised estimates for the fiscal year 2024-25, reaching ₹3,052 crore compared to ₹2,609 crore in 2023-24. The budget for 2025-26 anticipates further growth, projecting a revenue of ₹3,186 crore, as detailed in the GCC’s budget documents.
In the fiscal year 2025-26, the revenue breakdown is expected as follows: 63% will come from property tax, 19% from professional tax, 11% from fees and user charges, and 7% from other income sources.
Additionally, total revenue receipts have risen to ₹4,987 crore in 2024-25, up from ₹4,675 crore in the previous year. The forecast for revenue receipts in 2025-26 is ₹5,146 crore.
Capital expenditures have also increased, with allocations reaching ₹2,953 crore in 2024-25 compared to ₹2,940 crore in 2023-24. The figure for 2025-26 is set at ₹3,191 crore.
The revenue deficit for 2024-25 is projected at ₹452 crore, contrasting with a revenue surplus of ₹333 crore in 2023-24, which included capital expenditure transfers.
The budget outlines significant allocations: ₹1,032 crore for stormwater drainage, ₹628 crore for bus route infrastructure, ₹413 crore for building projects, ₹352 crore for solid waste management, ₹281 crore for zone development, ₹179 crore for special initiatives, ₹164 crore for bridge construction, and ₹142 crore for miscellaneous projects. Moreover, the GCC aims to enhance the aesthetics of spaces beneath flyovers in areas such as T Nagar, Anna Salai, Royapettah, Egmore, and Perambur, with an investment of ₹42 crore.
In an effort to modernize tax and trade license payments, the GCC will introduce a QR code-based system. This initiative allows residents to easily pay property taxes, name change fees, trade licenses, and other charges by simply scanning a QR code, as stated by GCC Mayor R. Priya during her address.
