The Hindu 22.10.2010
Get ready to pay BBMP betterment charges
Chitra V. Ramani
Bangalore: The Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) may soon start recovering improvement expenses, popularly called betterment charges, from residents in the city.
According to sources, rules for collecting the improvement expense have been framed. The rates have also been fixed and the proposal has now been sent to the Standing Committee on Taxation and Finance. After clearance from the committee, it will come before the BBMP council for approval.
A Government Order, issued on February 25 this year, approved the draft of Karnataka Municipal Corporations (Recovery of improvement expenses) (Amendment) Rules, 2010. As per the GO, the rules are “deemed to have come into force from January 17, 2007”.
They said that the betterment charges will be collected from the B Khata (provisional khata) holders. “The one-time fee will be collected from owners of converted revenue lands which are mainly in the new areas. However, some may also come under the core areas of the city,” sources said. Sources also said that while issuing the B Khata, the civic authority would also take an affidavit from applicants. In the affidavit, the applicants are required to declare that they will pay the improvement expense when the BBMP frames the rules.
Charges
Sources said that owners of sites measuring up to 30 ft x 40 ft (111 sq. m) will have to pay charges of Rs. 200 per sq. m.
The owners of sites measuring up 60 ft x 40 ft (222.96 sq. m) will have to pay Rs. 250 per sq. m, while those owning larger sites will have to pay Rs. 350 per sq. m.
The BBMP started collecting betterment charges in 2007 when it was challenged in court. In 2008, the High Court ordered that the rules be framed for its collection. The rules were drafted in 2009, during the Administrator’s period. These rules were approved by the Government on February 3 this year.
P.N. Sadashiva, chairperson of the Standing Committee on Taxation and Finance, said that once the council approves the proposal, the BBMP will be able to collect more than Rs. 120 crore mentioned in the budget.
