The new commissioner of the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) N Manjunatha Prasad on Monday said collecting property tax from major defaulters would be his priority.
Speaking to reporters after taking charge as the new commissioner from his predecessor G Kumar Naik, Prasad said the Palike will pursue matters of major tax defaulters, where its stakes are high. He said he alone cannot generate revenue. Hence, he will have to work as a team with the public representatives to recover dues from the defaulters.
When asked about dealing with cases where the major tax defaulters are the public representatives, Prasad said, “They are like any other citizens and they will have to pay taxes as per the rules.”
Regarding the possibility of reviewing the property tax hike, Prasad said the hike has been effected as per the rules. Hence, it cannot be withdrawn. However, the Palike is open to reviewing the cases of discrepancies.
Bengaluru lad
Prasad said he is among a few fortunate officers who belong to the city and had the opportunity to serve it.
“I grew up in this city and now, I am given the chance to serve its people. I thank everyone for giving me this rare opportunity. I will try my best to live up to the expectations of the people of Bengaluru,” said Prasad.
The officer said providing good roads and well-maintained parks and playgrounds will be his other priority. The drains will be cleared of silt so that no flooding takes place in the city before the monsoon, he said.
A number of BBMP officials including special commissioner Hemaji Naik, chief engineers Somashekar, K T Nagaraj and B V Sathish greeted the new commissioner.
Published 25 April 2016, 19:26 IST