JOIN USNow on, property tax includes garbage cess
According to Palike officials, a ‘minimal’ sum will be collected as garbage cess from citizens when they pay property tax at the office of the local assistant revenue officer (ARO).
Advertisements on garbage cess will be published in all major newspapers and green forms have already been despatched to AROs in the City. The citizens need to fill in the forms and mention the dimension of the buildings on which cess will be levied. The form is free of cost and can be collected along with the property tax form.
P N Sadashiva, Chairman for the Standing Committee on Taxation and Finance, told Deccan Herald: “Garbage cess will be collected based on the rates fixed by the BBMP. The rates will depend on the dimensions of the house/site for which property tax is paid.”
Considering that some citizens pay their property tax under the half-yearly scheme, even garbage tax can be paid accordingly, said BBMP officers.
When asked if any punitive measures would be taken against those who refuse to pay garbage cess, the officers said they only hoped citizens would cooperate with them.
On refusal to pay garbage cess, the Palike might refuse to collect the property tax for the current year, they said.
Also, the BBMP officials have not ruled out the possibility of ‘boycotting’ a particular vicinity from being cleaned or ‘dumping’ garbage in front of a particular house, for non-payment of garbage cess.
Property tax collection
The property tax collection for 2010-11 has been placed well above Rs 1,100 crore and has met the said target mentioned in the BBMP Budget 2010-11. The BBMP has already collected taxes from nearly 11.5 lakh property owners and despatched notices to nearly 1.5 lakh property owners who defaulted on payment of taxes.
“We are already in the process of sending notices to another 1.5 lakh properties in the next one week,” a BBMP officer said.
Defaulters will have to pay a penalty of two per cent every month starting from April 1, he added.
On the possibility of a hike in the property tax payment, Sadashiva said the BBMP had taken into consideration that their proposal for a hike in the tax once in five years would be approved by the government.
“Thus, we are going ahead with the collection of property tax for 2011-12, based on the same rates as before,” he said.
If the property tax for the current financial year is paid before April 30, one can avail of five per cent rebate. There will be no rebate on garbage cess.
SWM cess chart
Residential buildings
Upto 1,000 sqft Rs 10
1,000-3,000 sqft Rs 30
Above 3,000 sqft Rs 50
Hotels/marriage halls/
nursing homes
Upto 1,000 sqft Rs 300
1,000-5,000 sqft Rs 500
Above 5,000 sqft Rs 600
Commercial buildings
Upto 1,000 sqft Rs 50
1,000-5,000 sqft Rs 100
Above 5,000 sqft Rs 200
Industrial buildings
Upto 1,000 sqft Rs 100
1,000-5,000 sqft Rs 200
Above 5,000 sqft Rs 300