The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has commenced the sealing of properties belonging to individuals with overdue property tax payments in Bangalore. The measure, proposed in November, aims to recover Rs 300 crore from 8,000-10,000 defaulters. BBMP Special Commissioner Munish Moudgil revealed that 500-600 commercial properties have already been sealed, with a focus on those who ignored tax notices. The crackdown extends to residential units among the city's estimated 6 lakh defaulters, including those falsely claiming residential status for commercial purposes.
The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has started its proposed action of sealing properties belonging to individuals who have defaulted on property tax payments across its eight zones in Bangalore. The measure, initially proposed in early November, was aimed at recovering pending taxes from defaulters. As of Saturday, BBMP Special Commissioner Munish Moudgil reported that 500-600 commercial properties have already been sealed off.
The move comes in response to notices served on approximately 8,000-10,000 defaulters who collectively owe the BBMP around Rs 300 crore. Moudgil emphasized that these are defaulters who either have not paid or have underpaid taxes for several years. The properties being sealed belong to those who received notices but failed to fulfill their tax obligations.
While the initial focus has been on commercial properties, Moudgil affirmed that action against defaulting residential units would also be taken. He noted that the overall number of defaulters in the city is estimated at 6 lakh. The BBMP has identified a range of defaulters, including those providing false information about their properties, claiming residential status while using the premises for commercial purposes.
Moudgil had earlier outlined stringent measures to recover pending taxes, including property seizure, car seizure, freezing of bank accounts, and auctioning of assets. However, as of Saturday, property seizure and asset auctions had not been initiated.
Moudgil defended the implementation of the property sealing initiative, stating that each ward has a team of 4-5 members, and each team is required to seal off only three properties a day. He emphasized that the work shouldn't be overwhelming and attributed stress-related concerns to the continuous workload since the announcement of elections and the subsequent implementation of various government schemes, property verifications, and tax-related tasks.
The sealing of commercial properties is part of the BBMP's efforts to tackle tax evasion and ensure that property owners fulfil their tax obligations promptly. The BBMP aims to streamline tax collections and address long-standing issues related to defaulters across Bangalore, ultimately contributing to the civic body's revenue and development efforts.
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