Over 60 per cent of the property tax dues that the BBMP is struggling
to collect is from just five per cent of major tax defaulters. Out of
Rs 595.63 crore dues, Rs 316 crore has to be paid by 335 property
owners. That is close to a whooping Rs 1 crore for each property.
BBMP
has categorised defaulters into six categories based on the amount they
have to pay, and has identified 12,104 property owners as defaulters
who have not paid Rs 595.63 crore tax.
Of this, Rs 316.19 crore
is from 335 defaulters, while 11,769 defaulters have to pay the
remaining Rs 279.44 crore, according to the data compiled by the BBMP.
In
the current financial year, the BBMP has collected Rs 1,074 crore taxes
against the total tax collection target of Rs 1,600. In 2012-13, the
total tax collected was Rs 1,358 crore.
Explaining the problems
faced by them in collecting taxes, a BBMP official said in some cases
tax inspectors and other revenue officers were not allowed to enter the
premises, especially if it was an IT-BT company, on the pretext of
security.
“In some cases, our officials are hand-in-glove with the
companies. In fact, we had transferred some of the tax inspectors who
are working in the same ward for many years, as we feel by working in
the same place, they will develop vested interests,” official said.
According
to the Chairman, BBMP Taxation and Finance Committee, M S Shivaprasad,
officials are not doing their duty. “It is the officials responsibility
to collect taxes. We are councillors and do not have executive powers.
We can only direct them. Now that we have given a target of Rs 5 crore
per-zone-per-week, officials have to meet the target, failing which
action will be initiated against them.”
“I have asked the concerned officials to email day-to-day reports of collections,” he said.
On
defaulters, Shivaprasad said BBMP authorities were making a list of
defaulters in a zone-wise breakup. The Palike is planning to upload them
on its website. “We will take legal action against defaulters, either
we will attach their rent (if they have any tenants) or confiscate
movable properties,” he said.
On the recent showdown of the BBMP
with Wipro, which is one among the major defaulters and has to pay Rs
16.47 crore, Shivaprasad said they wanted to confiscate its movable
properties.
Most Defaulters in East Zone
BBMP’s
east zone has the most number of defaulters. Of 7,601 defaulters
(excluding the Rs 25,000 to Rs 50,000 category), 2,180 are from the east
zone.
Even among major defaulters, of 335 defaulters who have to
pay Rs 316.19 crore, 97 are from the East, and owe dues amounting to Rs
109.52 crore.
