Although the BBMP has decided to keep all its offices open on Sunday to ensure that citizens adequate time to pay up their property taxes, there was confusion in some areas of the city with regard to the mode of payment.
While most centres in the city accepted both cheques and DDs, some others accepted taxes paid through DDs only.
“We heard that in a few places, the officials were only accepting Demand Drafts,” said Anand Siroor of the Swabhimana Initiative in Malleswaram, which works on civic issues for the welfare of residents in the area.
“When citizens went there with cheques, they were told it would not be accepted and were asked to pay through DD. This will be a problem on Sunday as banks will not be open. We hear that the move follows some misappropriation of funds by the officials when people paid using cheques,” he said.
However, BBMP Deputy Commissioner (Revenue) I Ramakanth clarified that BBMP will accept cheques too. He appealed to the people to pay the property tax by Sunday.
“Offices will be kept open the entire day on Sunday so that people can pay the property tax. There is a possibility that some offices had closed early on Saturday for Kepegowda’s birth anniversary celebrations,” he said.
For those who pay the taxes by Sunday, a five per cent rebate on the tax will be given, he added. “From Monday, citizens will have to pay a penalty of 2 per cent on their property tax,” he said.