We are looking forward to a major turnaround in next 6 months: Sharma

If recently released figures are to be believed , the octroi earnings of the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation has not nosedived due to economic meltdown as widely believed. Month-wise there has been an increase and in year-to-year comparison, the gap is closing in. In fact, auto majors like Tata Motors have contributed as much to octroi revenue as they did last year.

Compared to early last year when the economy was on a high, the figures this fiscal tell a story of the bad time slowly but surely making way to the good. In April 2008, the PCMC had earned octroi revenue of Rs 70 crore. This fiscal in April, the PCMC could rake in only Rs 42 crore, suffering a loss of over nearly 28 crore. Similarly in May last year, the octroi revenue stood at Rs 70 crore and this May, it reached Rs 45 crore -- an increase of Rs 3 crore compared to April.

In June 2008, PCMC secured octroi revenue of Rs 65 crore and in June 2009 the figure was Rs 47 crore -- an increase of Rs two crore compared to May. In July last year, octroi income was pegged at Rs 57 crore and this fiscal in July, it was Rs 52 crore -- an increase of Rs five crore compared to June. In August, PCMC notched up Rs 65 crore and this financial year, the octroi figure stands Rs 55 crore -- again an increase of Rs three crore compared the previous month.

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