Former BBMP Finance & Taxation Committee Chairman Manjunath Raju has urged Bengaluru civic authorities to strengthen the administration of property tax by making fuller use of the city’s existing Property Identification Number (PID) and GIS-based property mapping systems. 
The call comes amid recent observations by Bengaluru Development Minister Krishna Byre Gowda that the city has around 35 lakh properties, while property tax is being collected from only about 18 lakh properties. Official records currently cover around 20 lakh properties, highlighting a considerable gap between the estimated property base and the properties captured in the tax and civic databases. 
Raju said the figures underline the need to improve the implementation of systems that were introduced to bring greater transparency to property identification and taxation and to widen Bengaluru’s property tax base. 
The city had earlier introduced the Property Identification Number system as a GIS-based digital identity for individual properties. The system brought together satellite mapping, field-level verification and digital records to create a more structured property database and improve accountability in property tax administration. 
According to Raju, the PID system helped increase the number of identified taxable properties from around 7.4 lakh to more than 16 lakh. The expansion was also accompanied by a substantial increase in annual property tax collections, demonstrating the role that better property identification and digital records can play in improving municipal revenue. 
Raju said Bengaluru already has much of the technological infrastructure required to address the current gaps. In his view, the immediate requirement is not the creation of another technology platform, but regular updating, integration and consistent implementation of the systems already available across civic departments. 
He stressed that the effectiveness of technology depends on the administrative framework supporting it. Raju said Bengaluru should focus on ensuring that existing property databases are kept updated and integrated so that every eligible property is brought within the tax framework in a fair and consistent manner. 
Better property tax compliance can also provide civic authorities with additional resources for essential infrastructure, including roads, storm-water drains, public parks, footpaths and other municipal facilities. Raju said improved collection through stronger administration could help increase civic revenue without placing an additional tax burden on property owners who are already compliant. 
Raju has proposed several measures to strengthen the system. These include integrating existing PID records with updated GIS maps and utility databases, making PID the standard property identifier across civic departments, and introducing ward-level dashboards showing property tax coverage. 
He has also recommended regular independent audits of property databases and clearly assigning administrative responsibility for maintaining accurate and updated property records. Such measures, he said, could help identify gaps in the existing database and make it easier for civic authorities to track whether properties are being appropriately assessed and taxed. 
The issue is particularly relevant for Bengaluru, where rapid urban expansion has increased the number and diversity of properties that need to be brought within municipal databases. A more consistent property identification system could help BBMP improve the accuracy of its records while also reducing gaps between properties that exist on the ground and those reflected in official databases. 
Raju said Bengaluru has already demonstrated that digital systems can improve municipal administration. Renewed institutional focus on maintaining and implementing these systems, rather than developing parallel mechanisms, could strengthen transparency and property tax collection while providing a more reliable revenue base for civic infrastructure. 
Manjunath Raju is the former Chairman of the BBMP Finance & Taxation Committee. During his tenure, he was involved in initiatives aimed at strengthening Bengaluru’s property tax administration through digital governance, including the Property Identification Number system, with a focus on improving transparency, accountability and revenue collection. 
Source PTI