Despite the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) recently announcing that property tax payments for 2014-15 can be made through cheques, some BBMP staff are insisting on submission of demand drafts (DDs).
The officials are telling taxpayers that they need to pay through DDs to get receipts immediately. Those who have paid tax in the form of cheques have been given temporary acknowledgement and will get the actual receipt only after the cheque is encashed by the civic body.
Dr Malathi V Rao, who lives at Income Tax Layout in Vijayanagar, paid the tax through a cheque at the BBMP office in Chandra Layout. “They accepted the cheque, but didn’t give me a receipt. They told me that they will give the receipt only after I show them my passbook to prove cash has been deducted,” she said.
She added that the officials are charging extra for property tax forms. “While it is `5 on the form, they are collecting Rs.10,” she said.
R A Narayan, resident of Jayanagar First Block, said BBMP officials asked him not to submit a cheque and therefore, he had to pay in cash.
R Umesh Chandran, a senior citizen and resident of Govindaraj Nagar, was told by the BangaloreOne staff at Vijayanagar that cheques “would not be accepted”.
Anirudh Naik, a resident of Uttarahalli who has always paid through cheques, had a similar experience. “This time, officials at the BBMP office near our house told us they would not be accepting cheques. So I paid online,” he said.
Call if Cheques are Not Accepted
BBMP Deputy Commissioner (Revenue) I Ramakanth told Express that the civic body has instructed all officials to accept cheques. “We have, in fact, issued a circular in this regard,” he said.
He also asked taxpayers to lodge complaints with the BBMP control room at 22221188 if their cheques are not accepted.