The BMMP has collected Rs 1,028 crore property tax, reaching 42 per cent of its target for this financial year, in the last two months characterised by the fear over COVID-19 pandemic and the lockdown.
The BBMP had previously extended the last date for availing 5 per cent rebate on property tax from end of April to May. Property owners have the last four days to avail the benefit.
"The BBMP had collected Rs 1,530 crore property tax last year, when the city was not in the middle of any crisis. The present collection is satisfactory considering the present situation. We are hoping to get another Rs 100 to Rs 150 crore in the next four days," said BBMP Special Commissioner (Revenue).
There is hardly any progress in recovery of arrears. Until Monday, the BBMP has recovered pending arrears of about Rs 50.10 crore from 62,635 property owners. The Corporation is yet to collect a pending tax of whopping Rs 2,500 crore. However, the civic body has a herculean task of sorting out multiple applications pertaining to the same property and readjust the tax amount. The readjustment amount of Rs 978.01 crore needs to be deducted from the overall sum.
The special commissioner said that during the last two months, the Palike has not taken strict actions against those who had failed to pay the tax in the previous years. "We will issue notice from June and take strict action against those who fail to pay," he said.
The revenue deputy commissioner for Rajarajeshwari Nagar zone Shivegowda has already begun preparations for the tax collection drive. He has written to subordinate officers, instructing them to take steps for collection of Rs 150 crore in tax arrears from the zone by the end of August.
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