The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has started taking action by attaching properties and sealing non-residential buildings due to unpaid taxes. Despite this, a substantial 66.8% of property tax payers have still not settled their dues. There were 3,95,253 property tax defaulters at the start of the financial year. Currently, 2,64,228 defaulters remain, which means only about 33.14% have paid taxes.
The civic agency has begun attaching property of defaulters. East zone officials have sealed the highest number of non-residential areas, totaling 1,317 that is followed by the West zone with sealing of 1,034 non-residential areas.
Mahadevapura zone comes next, with 480 non-residential areas sealed. South has sealed 470 non-residential areas, while Yelahanka follows with 416. RR Nagar zone has sealed 400 while Bommanahalli has sealed 303 non-residential areas, and Dasarahalli has the lowest number, with 166 non-residential areas sealed.
West zone leads in terms of properties attached, with a total of 9,088 properties. Next is East, where 9,401 properties have been attached. Dasarahalli follows with 4,090 attached properties, and RR Nagar comes in next with 4,554. Yelahanka has attached 4,623 properties, and Bommanahalli has attached 5,444. Mahadevapura has fewer attached properties at 3,936, while the South zone has attached 8,351 properties.
Surprisingly, Mahadevapura, the highest tax-paying zone within BBMP, also has the highest percentage of defaulters with outstanding dues, standing at 35.99%. Following closely is the South zone, where 37.45% of defaulters have not yet cleared their dues. Dasarahalli zone also has a significant percentage, with 35.63% of defaulters still owing payments. In Yelahanka, 34.24% have not settled their dues.
In Bommanahalli, 32.66% are yet to pay up, while East has 32.81% of defaulters still to pay. West zone has 32.94% of defaulters with unpaid dues. Finally, RR Nagar has the lowest percentage of outstanding defaulters at 30.91%.
Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar has unveiled a new online building plan approval process for properties within BBMP limits measuring up to 4,000 square feet. The initiative, known as the ‘Nambike Nakshe’ scheme, enables property owners to obtain a provisional building plan approved by a licensed architect or engineer, which they can then submit online for final approval by the BBMP. This process applies to all sites up to a 50×80 feet area.
Shivakumar said that no construction is permitted within a 50-metre radius of rajakaluves according to NGT regulations. “We have identified 300 km of such areas where a 30-foot road will be constructed alongside these water channels. Landowners in these areas will be compensated with Transferable Development Rights (TDR), which they can sell in place of the land.
The targeted locations include Hebbal, Nagavara, Bellandur, and Bengaluru South. In the first phase, we plan to develop 100 km of roads. While these roads will not be accessible to buses, other vehicles will be allowed. A budget of Rs 200 crore has been allocated for this project, which has also been reviewed in the Cabinet,” he explained.
