BBMP south zone lags in property tax collection

The members of BBMP Taxation and Finance Committee on Tuesday took the revenue officials of the Palike south zone to task for their failure to collect property tax.

A day after releasing the list of top ten defaulters, the committee members reviewed the performance of south zone. The total revenue target fixed there is Rs 490 crore this year while the collection so far is only Rs 297.37 crore. The panel members sought to know the reason for the wide gap, despite the fact that it is one of the oldest areas of the City where every property has been identified. The members learnt that there were wards where the tax collection was as low as 14 per cent.

The officials were directed to intensify their drive and recover the balance amount in 15 days by going for a door-to-door collection and issuing notices.

The performance of the revenue officials was found satisfactory in the revenue zones of Jayanagar, Kempegowda Nagar, Koramangala, Banashankari, Hombegowda Nagar and Padmanabha Nagar, which are close to reach the 100 per cent target.

It was also learnt during the inspection that 537 cheques totalling to Rs 1.08 crore pertaining to the property taxes have been dishonoured. Directions were given to the officials to ensure early recovery of the money. The Committee chairperson M Shivaraju has asked the Palike administration to ensure 100 per cent online payment of property tax and develop a technology-driven hassle-free system for payment of taxes.