Electronic equipment to survey big properties

The BBMP has decided to use Total Station Survey (TSS), an electronic survey equipment, to measure big properties, the owners of which may not have furnished details properly.

Speaking to reporters, BBMP’s Taxation and Finance Committee chairman M K Gunashekar said the job would be outsourced. The BBMP will float a short-term tender, inviting applications for the task. There are about 77 tech parks, 51 malls and 4,834 industries in the city, apart from thousands of mega residential complexes.

“These buildings will be measured using TSS. If the earlier measurement is wrong and the builders have paid less tax, they will be made to pay hefty penalty,” said Gunashekar.

He recalled that the pilot project was undertaken by his immediate predecessor M Shivaraju and 10 properties had been measured. Gunashekar said that the measurement of the properties by private companies would have legal backing as there would be a team of BBMP officers who would authenticate the measurement. He said BBMP was authorised under the Karnataka Municipal Corporations (KMC) Act, 1976, to verify details furnished by property owners. When asked how he would deal with opposition by Congress leaders to the move, Gunashekar said, “We assessed the pros and cons of the TSS and then decided to go ahead. We will conduct a special tax collection drive every Wednesday from next week.”

The T&F chairman said that the Palike had asked the National Informatics Centre (NIC) to upgrade the online property collection software in a fortnight. He said, “There are many shortcomings in the software. It does not show the amount paid in excess as property tax by the owners. The NIC officials have agreed to set it right in a fortnight.”