Cabinet to decide on GIS-based property info system

The Karnataka Cabinet will decide today on a proposal to roll out GIS-based property information system across all urban local bodies in the state.

Properties mapped on a GIS platform will help municipal authorities make property tax assessment simpler and also prioritize areas on the basis of tax revenue collected or due - all this while making the process transparent.

Karnataka has 277 urban local bodies, including the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP). The BBMP is already using GIS Enabled Property Tax Information System (GEPTIS) on which over 18.5 lakh properties have been mapped.

Through the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT), the Modi administration is pushing Indian states to adopt technology, especially GIS systems, for urban governance. Under AMRUT, Karnataka has already decided that 26 cities will switch to GIS-based master plans, which will help authorities monitor land use changes in real-time and check violations.

Globally, cities such as New York and London use GIS tools for strategic spatial planning to collectively re-imagine possible futures, identify priorities and implementable projects.