Bengaluru: Property tax - Online payment hit by glitches this year too
Bengaluru: “Your property tax has been paid for the year 2017-18 !”It may be rejoicing to see the message popping up on the BBMP official website while paying property tax even before the tax is paid. But, in reality, you still have to pay the tax!
Even one year after making online payment of property tax mandatory, BBMP officials have failed to fix technical glitches in the system, forcing the citizens to sit long hours staring at their desktops and laptops.
Most property owners are trying to pay the tax before April-end to avail of the 5 per cent rebate. But they have to make multiple attempts before the payment is received, because of the faulty system. “The BBMP is spending crores on e-governance initiatives. Why can’t they fix these simple bugs,” asked A. Kranti Kumar, a resident of HSR Layout.
Though the property owners are eligible for rebate in property tax paid till end of April, the quantum of rebate is not reflecting in the tax payable. “Why should the rebate be denied when the Karnataka Municipal Corporations (KMC) Act 1976 has the provision? The BBMP should look into these issues and fix them to ensure that they collect good amount of tax,” he suggested.
Another resident complained that the BBMP has always failed to ensure flawless services. “The Palike should hold a meeting with software provider and fix the bugs. Else, the BBMP will be forced to extend the rebate and the BBMP will lose its revenue by offering rebate for additional period,” said Mr Kodanda Reddy, a resident of Banasawadi.
Chairman of the BBMP standing committee on Taxation and Finance M.K. Gunashekar said that last week, he held a meeting with officials of NIC, the software provider, and various banks to ensure that the citizens do not face problem while making payment online. They have been told to fix the problems and update him on the next meeting scheduled for Thursday.
BBMP deputy commissioner (Revenue) Venkatachalapathy said that until Tuesday, the BBMP has collected Rs 26 crore. Officials at the help centres have been helping public to get the challan to pay the tax at banks. Extending the date for rebate will incur loss on the BBMP’s exchequer, he said.
