Bengaluru: Bengaluru Development Minister K.J. George on Tuesday said that there has been a considerable increase in the number of properties in Bengaluru over the last one year and the BBMP should make concerted efforts to generate more tax. Suggesting outsourcing of tax collection, Mr George explored various measures to increase revenue in the BBMP during a review meeting.
Responding to the minister, BBMP Commissioner Manjunath Prasad said that the civic body has identified 18.5 lakh properties in its limits and has collected Rs 1,960 crore tax, including arrears from 15.14 lakh properties in the last one year. Further, over 20,000 defaulters owed more than Rs 965 crore as property tax, he said. In a bid to ensure timely collection of taxes, Mr George suggested that tax collection could be outsourced and it could even lead to more revenue.
Mr George also directed BBMP officials to file criminal cases against those who put up hoardings and flexes illegally. Directing the BBMP to identify places where posters of Kannada films and political parties could be put up and which can also be provided at concessional rates, Mr George suggested that the BBMP should ban posters and encourage people to put up flexes. Mr Prasad replied that the BBMP had raised demand notices to 5,427 advertisers and collected Rs 321 crore in penalties.
