Property tax is one of the main revenue sources for the
financially ailing Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP). With the
BBMP not able to meet property tax targets, it has now decided to
integrate Bangalore Electricity Supply Company’s RR number and Bangalore
Water Supply and Sewerage Board’s meter number with the property ID.

Underreporting

According
to senior BBMP officials, several property owners, who are using their
properties for commercial purposes, have falsely declared it as
residential under Self Assessment Scheme (SAS) to escape paying more
tax. Many commercial establishments have also not taken the trade
licence from the BBMP. The source said that as per Bescom records, there
are 7.2 lakh commercial power connections in the city. If the Bescom’s
RR number is integrated with the property ID (PID), the BBMP will be
able to immediately ascertain if the property is commercial or
residential. “This will help the BBMP identify those who have falsely
declared tax, penalise them and collect the dues from them,” the source
added.

Already the BBMP has captured more than 15
lakh properties in the city through Geographical Information System
(GIS) and given each property a unique id number. Though the BBMP had
set a target of collecting Rs. 2,000 crore as property tax, it has been
able to garner only around Rs.1,320 crore. With just a couple of days
left for the end of the financial year, the BBMP is hoping to touch
Rs.1,500 crore.

Similarly, by integrating BWSSB’s
meter number with PID, the BBMP officials will be able to identify the
number of properties in the city with borewells. “We can then direct
these property owners to link the borewell with the rainwater harvesting
structure. This will ensure that not a drop of rainwater goes to waste.
This is to make use of the existing structures for maximum conservation
of water,” the source said.