NAGPUR: In a revaluation drive, the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) has registered a duplex situated in a residential area as a building of the state government.
Moreover, the property tax demand of a few citizens is shown as zero on the NMC’s website due to faulty data.
The civic body had launched a new property tax system— ready reckoner-based rateable value — from April 1, 2015. The system came into effect two years later in 2017. To implement it, the NMC revaluated existing properties and assessed new ones from November 2015.
Dr Vijay Motghare, a resident of HB Estate, Sonegaon, was taken aback when he went to pay property tax for his duplex. “The new software showed zero dues. After getting no response for two days, I lodged a complaint and sought that I get a 10% tax benefit. June 30 was the last date to pay and I have no information,” he said.
Deputy commissioner Milind Meshram said corrections will be made soon. “Anant Technology Pvt Ltd which was engaged for collecting data submitted in 2018 that the HB Estate duplex is a state government building,” he said.
Motghare said no one inspected his house and “there can be no confusion as HB Estate is a purely residental colony”.
The property tax department had developed a unique software and started operating it from April 1. The civic body used to manually prepare the demand note of existing properties every year. In the new software — GeoCivic — the demand note is automatically generated at the start of the new fiscal. In case there are any changes in the properties, the NMC revises the tax.
“Taxes of some more properties is also zero. It is because data is either incorrect or not total. The private agency has probably not keyed in the age of the buildings,” said Meshram.
Meshram added that NMC has not paid Anant Technology for goof-ups. “The agency was contracted to collect data of 1.25 lakh properties. It did for 42,000 properties and sought Rs 40 lakh payment for 35,000 units. We have not cleared it,” he said.
IM-PROPER-TY WORK
* NMC launches property tax system — ready reckoner-based rateable value — on April 1, 2015
* Revaluation of existing properties and assessment of new properties were to be done
* Exact measurement, life, type, pictures and other details of building were needed
* Pvt agency engaged was to complete work by 2020
* Work delayed so NMC engaged another agency to collect data of some areas
Anjaya Rajam Anparthi, 33, is a principal correspondent with The ...
Read MoreAnjaya Rajam Anparthi, 33, is a principal correspondent with The Times of India, Nagpur edition and looking after civic beat. He also likes to write stories from power and mining beats. He is a fond lover of city’s environment and highlight stories related to trees, greenery, rivers, lakes, sewage system, water treatment plants, and pollution-level. The issues related to civic amenities takes him to various parts of the city, slum areas, posh localities and meet citizens, social activists, NGOs, corporators and political leaders. Daylong visit to the NMC’s administrative offices makes him easy in learning various planning and developments of the city. He too likes to visit the developmental projects being undertaken under JNNURM Scheme once in a week. Maintaining a good contact with 145 corporators and officials, he like to highlight various issues related to the city spread in over 217 sq.km.
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