Incorrect property tax claim: Govt yet to issue corrective orders

Over 78,000 property owners who received incorrect property tax claims from the BBMP two years ago continue to suffer as the state government has failed to pass an order on a Cabinet decision that gave them respite.

The BBMP has neither received any notification nor has the government offered clarity by issuing an order on the Cabinet decision taken in January 2022.

The dispute over tax claims arose because the BBMP adopted a faulty zonal classification.

The long delay has triggered anxiety among the affected residents as the tenure of the BJP-led government comes to an end in the next 15 days, which also coincides with the beginning of the new financial year.

Sources in the know said the file or the draft government order (GO) was pending in the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) for approval. The GO is expected to provide clarity to the revenue officers and much-needed relief to property owners who were slapped with notices due to the faulty zonal classification rule enforced by the BBMP in 2021-22.

With the absence of an official notification, some residents continue to receive penalty notices on account of glitches in the BBMP’s IT system. A few residents also complained that the ‘notice’ section of the online portal goes blank whenever the owner enters the application number.

In 2021-22, the BBMP slapped notices on property owners for under-assessing the property tax value by wrongly entering the zonal classification. The owners were only told to pay a penalty and interest for five years as the new zonal classifications were introduced in 2016. After a furore, the Cabinet decided to put a temporary stay on the BBMP’s move.

Kiran Srinivas from Gayatrinagar, one of the affected citizens, said he was served with notices for no mistake of his. “Although BBMP assured us that the penalty would be waived, the portal still shows a fine amount being added. The penalties and interest range from tens of thousands to several lakhs of rupees. The government should pass the order immediately,” he said.

Bengaluru Navanirmana Party (BNP) said the government must issue the order without any further delay and that the BBMP fix the flaws in its IT system to avoid any future property tax miscalculations. “Administrative lethargy has crept into the BBMP due to the lack of elected representatives and therefore, such important civic concerns have gone unattended with no accountability whatsoever,” the party said.

“We will issue shortly,” Rakesh Singh, Additional Chief Secretary at Urban Development Department, said when asked about the government’s delay in issuing an order.