Palike to go to press on property tax defaulters
Names of those who owe Rs 1 lakh to be published
House owners with arrears of property tax of more than Rs one lakh are in for more trouble. The Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike has decided to publish the names of defaulters in newspapers, in addition to beating drums in front of their houses and offices.
The mendicant Palike has intensified the tax recovery drive after a lull. The beating of drums was stopped after some owners approached the High Court and obtained a stay order.
However, the Palike authorities say the stay was only for a particular case and not against all the defaulters.
The decision to go to the press against defaulters was taken at a meeting chaired by BBMP Commissioner M K Shankaralinge Gowda on Monday. He directed the officials not to show any mercy on the defaulters. The Commissioner warned that disciplinary action would be initiated against the revenue officials found guilty of under assessment of properties to tax.
Permission
Gowda said in some cases the owners who had obtained permission from the Bangalore Development Authority for change in land use from residential to non-residential purposes continue to pay tax on the slab applicable to residential properties.
He directed the officials to obtain details of such properties from the BDA and assess them for tax slab applicable to commercial properties.
435 defaulters
The zonal commissioners gave a list of around 435 defaulters who owe more than Rs one lakh as property tax to the Palike. The civic agency could rake in at least Rs 150 crore in the event of recovery of dues.
The Palike has set a target to collect Rs 1,600 crore as property tax during the present financial year and Rs 1,100 crore has already been collected till now.
The Commissioner directed the revenue officials to recover the balance of Rs 500 crore in the remaining period of the fiscal.
‘Lakhpathis’
* East Zone: 22
* West Zone: 04
* South Zone: 94
* Yelahanka: 53
* Mahadevapura: 172
* Bommanahalli: 88
* Rajarajeshwari Nagar: 35
* Dasarahalli: 70
