HUBBALLI: HDMC initiated an e-AASTHI-tax mela in Hubballi and Dharwad on Friday to motivate residents to register their properties under the e-aasthi process and settle outstanding property tax dues. The HDMC aims to enhance its revenue collection while achieving complete implementation of the e-AASTHI system.
As e-Swathu is mandatory for all property owners to register their property under the e-AASTHI system, HDMC has been creating awareness among citizens to make use of this facility to register their properties and also to encourage citizens to pay their pending property tax to avoid penalties.
For the first time, the HDMC organised a mela where five dedicated counters were opened to facilitate the public to apply for online applications for e-AASTHI documentation, clear property tax, make corrections in their property documents, and register new property entries and other reasons. District minister Santosh Lad inaugurated the mela in Hubballi, asking people to make use of this mela.
Additionally, HDMC has planned to organise e-AASTHI and tax mela events at its headquarters and zonal offices on the first and third Saturdays of Feb.
HDMC’s chief accounts officer PB Vishwanath told TOI that in a bid to encourage people to cover their properties under e-aasthi and to clear their pending property tax, HDMC launched the e-AASTHI -Tax mela on Friday. The initiative aims to streamline property registration and tax payment processes. Property owners can visit these melas to register their properties digitally and settle outstanding tax dues. HDMC officials will be present at these events to assist citizens with documentation and address their queries. The mela will provide on-the-spot registration facilities and help desk services.
He said that this systematic approach will help HDMC maintain accurate property records and improve its tax collection efficiency. He also informed that earlier, they used to give manual acknowledgment receipts for registration, but for the first time, property owners can now get computer-generated online receipts for applying for registration of property, which can be accessed at any time for future reference.
He mentioned that, as per their data, they have 3.3 lakh properties in Hubballi-Dharwad, of which 100,655 properties have so far been registered under the e-aasthi system. They are making efforts to achieve 100 per cent progress by covering all properties in Hubballi-Dharwad under this system. As far as tax collection is concerned, they collected Rs 117 crore in property tax last year, and they have set a target to collect Rs 141 crore property tax by the end of March 2025. They have already collected around Rs 115 crore tax.
“We have also created awareness among the citizens on paying property tax promptly every year and also to visit the office or mela to clear their pending property taxes,” he said.
All zonal offices will hold e-AASTHI -tax melas on every first and third Saturday of next month, and it will continue until they achieve their target, he said.
