The cash-strapped Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) is now planning to get tough with property tax defaulters. Palike officials have drawn up a list of those who have failed to pay taxes and are ready to crack the whip.
“Our officials have prepared a list of 1,310 individuals who have to pay more than `1 lakh each in taxes and 62 individuals who have to pay over `1 crore. Most of them are owners of commercial establishments,” an officer told Express.
BBMP Commissioner M Lakshminarayana said that over the past few days, they have issued notices to more than 600 property tax defaulters. “We will give them 30 days to pay their dues. Meanwhile, our officials are visiting these properties and interacting with the owners,” he said. In the coming days, if they do not pay up, BBMP will cut water and electricity supply, he said.
Chairman of the BBMP Standing Committee on Taxation and Finance, M S Shivaprasad, said as of October this year, BBMP collected Rs 1,020 crore in property tax. Last year, BBMP had collected Rs 1,268 crore. At present, BBMP is focusing on those who are under the property tax net. But there are many defaulters who have not come under the net. “With GIS, we have identified individual properties that are out of the property tax net,” he said.
Shivaprasad said BBMP will conduct frequent drives on commercial buildings. “We are forming task forces, which will visit properties, especially commercial buildings, and measure the dimensions digitally.
“In many places, owners have declared less number of floors. If we measure the built-up area of the buildings and collect taxes according to that, we can collect property tax of around Rs 5,000 crore,” he said.
This apart, the Committee will also conduct property tax collection drive frequently. During the drive, if they detect property tax defaulters who have given out buildings on rent, the rent amount will be attached.