BENGALURU: In over two years, 25,14,375 properties across the city have been digitised. The drive began at the end of 2023 after Deputy Chief Minister and Bengaluru Development Minister DK Shivakumar directed civic authorities to digitise properties in Bengaluru to boost the city’s revenue, by bringing properties into the tax net.
Of the five city corporations under the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA), Bengaluru West City Corporation (BECC) tops the list with 6,92,715 properties, followed by Bengaluru North City Corporation with 5,29,368 properties that are digitised.
While Bengaluru South City Corporation has digitised 4,93,790 properties, Bengaluru East City Corporation (BECC) has 4,62,105 properties. Bengaluru Central City Corporation has the fewest digitised properties at 3,36,397. The data was part of the reply given to MLC TN Javarayi Gowda in the ongoing session of the Karnataka Legislative Council.
The Fifth State Finance Commission, in its 2026–2030 report for the five city corporations under the GBA, which was tabled in the Assembly recently, pointed out that with rapid growth and economic prosperity, there is substantial capital gains on property and other assets, and that the gain was not adequately tapped by expanding coverage and tax rates.
The Commission said GBA is collecting property tax from 20.46 lakh properties, and recommended that to increase revenue, nearly five lakh properties that remain unassessed be brought under the tax net. It said GBA can generate additional revenue of Rs 600-700 crore annually by doing so.
It also batted for the use of advanced technologies such as drone imagery to detect changes in building structures, addition of new structures, and ensure complete coverage and more accurate property classification (based on location, usage and occupancy status).
Echoing the views of the Commission, civic activist and founder-member of Bengaluru Praja Vedike NS Mukunda said there would be more than 5lakh properties left to be digitised and brought under the tax net.
“Every other day, you find a new building cropping up or people adding floors to existing buildings. However, not all the new ones are brought under the tax net. There are wide gaps in self-assessed property tax, where owners under-declare their property to pay less tax. Officials are bribed in line with the violation,” Mukunda said.
“City corporations can be self-reliant and need not beg from the state government, if they collect property taxes efficiently without any discrepancies or corruption,” he said.
According to his estimate, property tax collection, which is around Rs 5,000 crore, can almost double annually if collected efficiently.