BENGALURU: Industrialists from across the state raised concerns over the delay in getting e-khatas and town planning approvals, confusion over property taxation and inadequate infrastructure during an interaction with Urban Development Minister Yathindra Siddaramaiah here on Thursday.
Representatives from district units of the Federation of Karnataka Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FKCCI) highlighted the confusion over property tax collection in industrial areas developed by KIADB.
Despite paying development charges and service fees to KIADB, many industrial layouts have not been formally handed over to local bodies, creating uncertainty over whether taxes should be paid to KIADB, municipal corporations or gram panchayats, they said.
Referring to Tumakuru, they said, units that were earlier under panchayat limits have now come under municipal corporations which are demanding retrospective property taxes. In some cases, industries have reportedly received tax demands ranging from Rs 25 lakh to over Rs 1 crore.
Many said they could not get loans from banks on time due to the delay and complications in obtaining e-khatas. Applications are not cleared for months due to repeated queries, cumbersome procedures and demands for 30-40 years of ownership documents, they said, and sought a one-time settlement mechanism.
Representatives from the renewable energy sector raised concerns over town planning authorities insisting on NOCs and proper roads for solar projects despite court rulings limiting their jurisdiction.
Representatives from private industrial estates in Bengaluru highlighted poor civic infrastructure, including inadequate street lighting, water supply and waste disposal despite paying taxes for decades.The minister promised to take steps to simplify the e-khata system.