BENGALURU: Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has collected Rs 4,930.36 crore in tax revenue, which makes up 94.62 per cent of the set target of Rs 5,210.47 crore, in the financial year 2024-2025.
Mopping up Rs 1,000 crore more compared to the previous fiscal 2023-24, BBMP is now targeting an additional Rs 1,000 crore in the financial year 2025-26.
BBMP Special Commissioner (Revenue) Munish Moudgil said in FY 2023-24, BBMP had collected Rs 3,918 crore as property tax, and in FY 2024-25, tax collection increased by Rs 1,000 crore.
According to BBMP, among the eight zones, Mahadevapura exceeded its target by 0.12 per cent, with collection at Rs 1,310.58 crore, against a set target of Rs 1,309.04 crore. Similarly, Yelahanka zone exceeded its target by 4.36 per cent, collecting Rs 464.66 crore against a target of Rs 445.24 crore.
Expressing confidence that more revenue would be collected in the current financial year, Moudgil said, “This year, we are confident of crossing Rs 6,000 crore in property tax collection.”
“Measures like systematic work and IT-based follow-up on arrears and tax dues, introduction and extension of One Time Settlement (OTS) on pending tax with reduced interest rates, house-to-house follow-up on arrears, warning and sealing of properties and attaching of bank accounts of such properties, all helped the Palike in increasing revenue,” said a senior revenue officer.
The official added that Rs 1,277 crore was collected through OTS from around 4 lakh tax defaulters, and tax amount totalling Rs 520 crore is still pending. The Palike announced it would levy 100 per cent penalty on tax defaulters, which will equal the outstanding tax amount, and also stricter measures of attaching and auctioning properties.
Further, the Palike listed 608 properties for auction to recover tax, and out of fear, 555 owners cleared their dues. “We got Rs 18 crore from 555 property owners, and are continuing with measures like holding campaigns and sending out notices to owners to clear dues to increase revenue,” said the official.
