Latest news with #Sanchaya
Time of India
12-07-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Kochi corporation faces heat over missing building data in K-Smart portal
Kochi: Of the 2.5 lakh building permits assessed within Kochi city limits, data related to nearly 50,000 buildings is missing from the Kochi Corporation's database—a serious issue that has disrupted tax payments and licence renewals for many property owners. So far, over 1,450 building owners have lodged formal complaints with the civic body. Corporation officials said efforts are underway to physically verify missing records and minimize inconvenience to the public. The issue primarily stems from the time when TCS was managing the e-governance programme. After the contract was scrapped due to delays and payment disputes, the private firm withheld data, including critical building permit details. Opposition councillors blame the situation on the administration's failure to spot discrepancies during the software transition. "Thousands of building numbers were omitted from the e-portal. The owners only realize this when they try to pay tax. We suspect the actual number could be higher than 50,000," said Antony Kureethra, leader of the opposition. MG Aristotle, secretary of the UDF parliamentary party and member of the finance committee, pointed out that according to Section 240 of municipal rules, building numbers can only be omitted after clearing tax dues and restoration requires permission from the regional joint director. "When the transition from Sanchaya software to K-Smart took place, tens of thousands of buildings were left out. People only discover the issue when they attempt to make payments," said Aristotle, adding that the corporation still lacks clarity on the total number of missing records. Officials have considered assigning sub-numbers to the omitted buildings, but this creates legal complications, especially when the original numbers are mentioned in title deeds and official documents. A senior official maintained that data pertaining to most buildings are now available with K-Smart. However, he failed to give the exact numbers but took credit for reinforcing the stalled e-governance project in corporation limits. "When we assumed power in 2020, the e-governance project was delayed by a decade. At a time when even the Kuttampuzha panchayat, which is located in the remote area of the district, issued e-birth certificates and marriage certificates, people had to stand in queue in front of the Kochi corporation office to register birth, death, marriage, etc and get certificates," he said. "Tiding over all the crises during the tenure of the previous two councils, we gathered data, roped in IKM, and implemented the e-governance project by 2022. Now, all our services are available through K-Smart," the official added.
The Hindu
12-07-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
Missing building numbers in K-Smart continue to trouble taxpayers
Building numbers remain missing from K-Smart within Kochi Corporation limits, as evident from continued complaints by taxpayers who are unable to pay property tax due to the issue. Corporation officials have attributed the problem to possible omissions during the data migration process to the new software. The Opposition United Democratic Front (UDF) alleged that thousands of building numbers were missing from K-Smart and blamed the distress of taxpayers—who often need tax receipts for various purposes—on the inefficiency and apathy of the Corporation. The data migration from the earlier Sanchaya software began a couple of years ago. 'Thousands of building numbers went missing from K-Smart due to the absence of the digital signature of the parties concerned. Only cases involving owners who pay tax yearly have come to light. Many more may remain undetected, as a large number of people pay the tax only once in three or four years, especially when they require tax receipts,' said M.G. Aristotle, member of the Corporation's finance standing committee and UDF parliamentary party secretary. However, revenue officials of the Corporation insisted that only a negligible building numbers remain missing in K-Smart, attributing it to possible omissions during data entry. 'Whenever taxpayers raise such issues, we verify the numbers concerned against the assessment register. Our inspectors then conduct field inspections, and based on their reports, we report the matter to the Information Kerala Mission, which promptly carries out the necessary back-end corrections,' said revenue sources. Since large parts of the assessment register were illegible due to its archaic nature, the Corporation, with council approval, introduced a system allowing taxpayers—whose numbers were not found in the register despite having paid tax—to self-assess using Form 2. Revenue inspectors then verified these before inclusion in K-Smart. The demolition of buildings without notifying the Corporation has also added to the problem. 'According to Section 240 of the Municipal Act, a building can be demolished only after clearing tax dues. It has emerged that over 1,000 buildings have been demolished, making verification difficult. Data entry omissions are inexcusable, especially since the Corporation spent ₹30 lakh on data entry alone as a precursor to K-Smart's rollout. Issuing sub-numbers as a temporary fix for missing building numbers will only complicate matters for owners who have recorded the original building numbers in important documents,' said Mr. Aristotle.
Web Release
08-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Web Release
Sanchaya Rolls Out Maki and Music Mondays at DoubleTree by Hilton Resort & Spa Marjan Island
Located within the stunning DoubleTree by Hilton Resort & Spa Marjan Island, Sanchaya brings the energy with a buzzing atmosphere and sophisticated Asian flair. Helping you start your week on the right note, the trendy eatery invites you to enjoy a mouthwatering set menu of sushi rolls paired with a choice of soft or house beverages. With a live DJ adding to the mix, Maki and Music Monday is the ultimate chance to celebrate with friends or simply soak up the good vibes. Kicking off at 6.00pm, dive into a curated lineup of handcrafted sushi, including silky salmon nigiri, crunchy California rolls packed with succulent crab and creamy avocado, and spicy tuna maki. As you savor each delicate bite, sip on your choice of beverage pairing, and settle into the sleek interiors. Guests can choose a refreshing soft package for AED 149 or opt for the house package, priced at AED 199 and featuring eclectic sake-infused creations, hops, and house grape. Helping you curb those Monday blues; a live DJ will turn up the vibe with a crowd-pleasing playlist that glides from soulful lounge grooves to upbeat house anthems. Sway between bites, raise a toast with friends, and kick-start the week on a high amidst Sanchaya's vibrant atmosphere. Don't miss out – Let the good times roll at Sanchaya, located within DoubleTree by Hilton Resort & Spa Marjan Island. Book now to savour fresh Asian flavours and an even fresher playlist for a Monday that's anything but ordinary. When: Every Monday from 6.00pm to 10.30pm Where: Sanchaya Offer: Set menu featuring curated sushi selection and a live DJ Price: AED 149 per person for the soft package; AED 199 per person for the house package *For bookings and more information, use this link or call + 971 56 995 4579
The Hindu
05-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Hindu
Satire meets marital realities in Sanchaya's ‘Ask Mr. YNK'
Kannada theatre group Sanchaya is back with its new production Vishwamitra Menake Dance Madodu Enake, Ask Mr. YNK on May 6, at Ranga Shankara. The play premiered at the Chiguru festival by Prestige Centre for Performing Arts (PCPA) in March this year. Directed by Chitrashekar Nonavinakere, the play is based on the book Ask Mr. YNK, aKannada satirical melodrama penned by well known author Jogi (Girish Rao Athwar), also known by his pen name Janaki. The play delves into the intricacies of Bengaluru's middle-class life, offering a humorous yet critical perspective on societal norms and contradictions. Witty dialogues The narrative centres around the character YNK inspired by the well known writer and journalist Y.N. Krishnamurthy, who serves as the protagonist in this play. YNK was known to capture the helplessness of middle-class life through his satirical and humorous writings. The team says taking this a step further, writer Jogi has uniquely portrayed the frustrations of marriage, relationships, and the cracks in male-female dynamics in the form of a play. Through YNK's witty dialogues and sharp observations, the play explores the paradoxes of the middle class in Bengaluru. Speaking to The Hindu, Chitrashekar said that he decided to take up the play to address the issues young couples go through in marriages. 'When couples from the lower middle-class communities go through complications it often ends in violence, and with middle-class families it mostly ends with divorce. I see that a lot of young couples in my own circles, be it relatives or friends, go through this phase and take the wrong step instead of working on it. Through this play I want to talk about how delicately marriage should be handled, how partners or couples should think beyond their own shoes and make living together fun. Marriage is a beautiful phase, which they should be enjoying,' he said. With young actors Chitrashekar who is directing after more than two decades, said that it was initially a challenge to work with young actors. 'This play is all about marriage, family, understanding and more. However, except for one or two actors, all the actors in the play are very young, recently married or set to get married. For such actors it is hard to understand marital values, conflicts and more. Initially it took me a lot of homework for this play and took time for me to get the actors into the rhythm. But all the actors did so well that within days they grasped their characters and performed much beyond what they are capable of for their age,' he explained. The play is performed by Rashmi Krishna, Sudarshan Venkatesh, Uma Shankar, Kanishka Goankar, Bharath Raavudi and others. Tickets for the show starting at 7.30 p.m. are available at the Ranga Shankara box-office and on BookMyShow.
New Indian Express
28-04-2025
- Business
- New Indian Express
K-Smart uncovers 1.4 lakh ‘ghost buildings', Rs 394 crore tax windfall
KOCHI: Sniffing out tax dodgers, the innovative K-Smart platform, a game-changer for local self-government services, has unearthed nearly 1.4 lakh buildings in urban local bodies that were playing hooky from revenue records and giving taxmen the slip. This clever sleuthing has the potential to plump up local body coffers by a hefty Rs 394 crore through taxes, arrears and fines. And the plot thickens! With K-Smart now casting its digital net in panchayats, authorities anticipate a significant surge in the regularisation of such 'ghost buildings', potentially unlocking a treasure trove of almost Rs 1,000 crore, according to senior government officials. Santhosh Babu, chairman and managing director of the Information Kerala Mission (IKM), the implementing agency of the K-Smart project, told TNIE that the Kerala government initiated a data purification project to include buildings not previously recorded or taxed in official records. The 'purification' drive by the LSGD found that of the 44,85,891 buildings for which records existed in the 87 municipalities and six city corporations, taxes were collected from only 36,55,124 buildings. Inaccurate data in the old software 'Sanchaya' had resulted in 8,30,737 buildings being wrongly classified as non-taxable for years. This was due to various reasons — data duplication, failure to remove demolished buildings from records and junk data. Despite an estimated 90-95% of city buildings being registered, many were found to be operating without tax assessments, even after getting electricity and water connections. Steps on to add all buildings on K-Smart The inspection revealed numerous buildings across the state that had evaded tax limits for years. IKM developed a software called LDMS (Legacy Data Management System) to purify the data. The eight lakh buildings were listed in the LDMS software and provided the facility to make them accurate and avoid duplicates, sources said. 'Through the purification and quantification process by K-Smart, a total of 98,719 new buildings were brought into the tax bracket, and 44,382 previously undiscovered buildings were added to tax records. This resulted in a total of 1,43,101 new buildings being added to the tax range. The total tax arrears from these buildings, which are mostly operational, amount to Rs 393.92 crore,' Babu said. In Kochi corporation, 16,168 new buildings were identified and added to tax records, while 11,410 wrongly tax-exempt buildings were brought under the tax net. This resulted in a total of 27,578 buildings coming under the tax ambit, generating Rs 150.28 crore in tax revenue. With over 1.2 crore buildings in panchayats across the state, data cleaning and database regularisation are expected to yield additional tax revenue and streamline tax collection, making it easier and faster in future, according to IKM officials. Steps are on to include all buildings in K-Smart. Around 50 local bodies have already completed the GIS-based survey. Integrating these with K-Smart will help find more missing buildings. All remaining local bodies are scheduled to conduct the survey. Further surveys and additions will take place within six months and various municipalities are taking steps to inspect each building at regular intervals with the help of temporarily deputed staff. It is helpful in detecting violations, finding additions to the building and reassessing taxes. Such additional measures can ensure tax assessment and correct data of buildings. In the near-future, the local self-government department plans to introduce a Digi Door PIN system, assigning a unique 10-digit identification number to every building in the state. Similar to Aadhaar for individuals, Digi Door will provide each building with a distinct digital identity containing information about the owner and location. Additionally, buildings will be geo-tagged. 1.2 crore buildings across state. Data cleaning, database regularisation of these properties likely to yield additional tax revenue
