The Mysuru City Corporation’s (MCC) property tax collection for the new financial year has registered a new high for the month of April.
The new financial year has seen a good beginning in property tax revenue inflow riding high on the 5 per cent discount which is offered to the tax payers for early payment and which lasts through April.
The total revenue collection as on April 15 was ₹18.60 crore and is almost double the amount collected during the same period last year when the MCC had mopped up ₹9.38 crore.
Dase Gowda, Deputy Commissioner, Revenue, MCC, told The Hindu that the increase is not only because of the rebate that is offered but also due to extensive publicity given to property tax payment.
However, another contributory factor for increase in resource mobilisation is the use of technology and the facility for online payment which has eased the process of tax payment, he added.
The online payment system was introduced last year but the property owners had to make a visit to the MCC zonal offices to get their digital Property Identification Number or PID. Now that the system is stabilised it has obviated the need to visit the MCC zonal offices. The tax can be paid from the comforts of one’s house at a click of the mouse or button.
Besides, the amount to be paid is automatically calculated. In the offline system one had to approach the middlemen for calculation besides manually entering the property details multiple times as the forms had to be filled up in triplicate. On completion of the same, it had to be vetted by the clerk and then one had to stand in a queue to make the cash payment. The online system has eliminated the cumbersome process.
As against ₹3.46 crore paid through online system between April 1 and 15 last year, ₹6.18 crore was paid for the same period this year. Payment through Karnatake One centres is ₹3.16 crore so far this year against ₹1.27 crore received during the same period last year. Payment through bank counters was ₹6.74 crore this year against ₹4.78 crore last year, according to Mr. Dase Gowda.
Last year the MCC collected ₹162.43 crore by way of property tax. The target is expected to go up this year due to inclusion of new layouts within the corporation limits. There are nearly 1.75 lakh registered properties in the MCC limits and this includes some of the revenue layouts that have been transferred to the corporation. Vijayanagar 3rd stage was also brought under the ambit of the corporation limits and hence the tax base of the MCC has widened giving scope for higher collection of tax.
Property tax is one of the important sources of revenue for the MCC to provide civic amenities along with other channels such as trade licence, building licence, and change of property khata.
