Bengaluru property owners urge BBMP to extend 5% tax rebate
BENGALURU
: Many property owners across Bengaluru are urging the
Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike
(
BBMP
) to extend the 5% rebate on property tax payments by at least another month, beyond the current April 30 deadline. As per BBMP's current rules, the rebate is applicable only to those who clear their tax dues within the first month of the financial year April.
Residents argue that the BBMP property tax portal was inactive until April 5 due to technical glitches, leaving taxpayers with less time to make their payments. This, combined with confusion over the newly introduced Solid Waste Management (SWM) user fee, has created widespread frustration among citizens. 'Why should we lose out on the rebate when the BBMP itself wasn't ready? We lost valuable days because the portal wasn't functioning,' said Rajesh K, a property owner from JP Nagar.
Adding to the grievances, property owners have strongly objected to the SWM user fee structure. Many apartment residents report being charged individual SWM fees despite their communities managing waste independently through composting or authorized private vendors.
Although exemptions have been promised to bulk waste generators, these are subject to physical inspections by BBMP officials at a later date, a process residents fear could lead to harassment and corruption. 'Today, they are charging us twice individually and at the community level. Tomorrow, they might impose penalties after inspections. There's complete uncertainty,' said Meenakshi R, a resident of Whitefield.
Citizen groups are demanding that BBMP scrap the new SWM fee structure for this financial year and revert to the earlier system of a flat cess of `360 per property. They argue that the sudden changes, poor communication, and lack of clarity have unfairly burdened honest taxpayers.
Why should citizens lose out on the rebate when the BBMP itself wasn't ready? — Rajesh K, resident of JP Nagar.
'In the middle of all this confusion, it is only fair that BBMP extends the rebate deadline by another month. Many of us are willing to pay promptly, but the process itself has become a hurdle,' said Sanjay P, a resident of Malleswaram.
Activists believe extending the deadline would help ease taxpayer grievances and restore some goodwill towards BBMP. With the end of April fast approaching, property owners are hoping for a quick and favourable response.
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