<p>Bengaluru: In a last-ditch effort to recover property tax dues before the financial year-end, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) is preparing auction notices for over 640 properties whose owners have tax outstandings going back several years.</p>.<p>The civic body has currently identified only the top 10 defaulters, both residential and commercial, in each zone.</p>.<p>This is the second set of auction notices being prepared in January. Earlier, the civic body had issued eight such notices. The action proved successful, as the BBMP saw close to 80 per cent of the defaulters pay their dues.</p>.<p>BBMP Special Commissioner (Revenue) Munish Moudgil insisted that the auction notices are issued after the civic body exhausted all legally available options. “We are identifying the top 10 property tax defaulters in each zone. By the first week of February, we plan to issue about 640 auction notices,” he said.</p>.BBMP to float tenders by February end to build tunnel roads in Bengaluru.<p>When a property owner fails to pay the annual tax, the BBMP first issues a show-cause notice, giving them adequate time to pay the dues. It then issues a demand notice, followed by attachment orders, and, finally, the sealing of non-residential properties. The auction, the final step in the process, applies to all properties.</p>.<p>Only last year, the BBMP — whose property tax revenue was struggling to cross Rs 3,500 crore a year — streamlined its revenue collection system by amending the BBMP Act.</p>.<p>The civic body also created a standard operating procedure to deal with property tax defaulters by coming up with a ready format for issuance of notices.</p>.<p>BBMP officials said there are about 2 lakh property tax defaulters, who together owe them Rs 250 crore. In addition, the civic body estimates that around 5 lakh properties have not been included in the property tax net at all.</p>.<p>So far, the BBMP has collected Rs 4,500 crore in property taxes, setting a record. The collection may likely reach Rs 5,000 crore, setting a new benchmark for the BBMP’s revenue officers, who have historically been casual in addressing property tax defaulters.</p>
<p>Bengaluru: In a last-ditch effort to recover property tax dues before the financial year-end, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) is preparing auction notices for over 640 properties whose owners have tax outstandings going back several years.</p>.<p>The civic body has currently identified only the top 10 defaulters, both residential and commercial, in each zone.</p>.<p>This is the second set of auction notices being prepared in January. Earlier, the civic body had issued eight such notices. The action proved successful, as the BBMP saw close to 80 per cent of the defaulters pay their dues.</p>.<p>BBMP Special Commissioner (Revenue) Munish Moudgil insisted that the auction notices are issued after the civic body exhausted all legally available options. “We are identifying the top 10 property tax defaulters in each zone. By the first week of February, we plan to issue about 640 auction notices,” he said.</p>.BBMP to float tenders by February end to build tunnel roads in Bengaluru.<p>When a property owner fails to pay the annual tax, the BBMP first issues a show-cause notice, giving them adequate time to pay the dues. It then issues a demand notice, followed by attachment orders, and, finally, the sealing of non-residential properties. The auction, the final step in the process, applies to all properties.</p>.<p>Only last year, the BBMP — whose property tax revenue was struggling to cross Rs 3,500 crore a year — streamlined its revenue collection system by amending the BBMP Act.</p>.<p>The civic body also created a standard operating procedure to deal with property tax defaulters by coming up with a ready format for issuance of notices.</p>.<p>BBMP officials said there are about 2 lakh property tax defaulters, who together owe them Rs 250 crore. In addition, the civic body estimates that around 5 lakh properties have not been included in the property tax net at all.</p>.<p>So far, the BBMP has collected Rs 4,500 crore in property taxes, setting a record. The collection may likely reach Rs 5,000 crore, setting a new benchmark for the BBMP’s revenue officers, who have historically been casual in addressing property tax defaulters.</p>