The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) this year collected close to 30% more as property tax compared to the last year. Overall, MCD collected over Rs 1,500 crore, including Rs 728 crore in transfer duty, during the financial year 2010-11. MCD officials attribute the sharp rise to the increase in the transfer duty and the increase in the number of taxpayers.

Last year, MCD collected just close to Rs 1,158 crore as property tax, including Rs 460 crore as transfer duty.

"This year, close to 10.35 lakh people have paid their property tax -an increase of 5.5%," said Ved Prakash Gupta, chairman, high-powered tax committee, MCD.

In 2010-11, there has been an increase in number of people filing tax online, too. "We collected Rs 20,923.42 lakh as compared to Rs 13,235.94 lakh last year. Close to 4.95 lakh people made use of the online facility to deposite tax as compared to 3.82 lakh people last year," said Gupta.

Despite negative publicity - the ruling BJP had announced that the property tax would not be collected from unauthorised colonies and villages - MCD saw a sizable increase in the number of taxpayers.