Bengaluru
The Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palika (BBMP), responsible for city governance, relies heavily on tax revenue from the public to fund its operations. However, the organization is facing challenges in meeting its tax collection targets, leading to concerns over a potential revenue shortfall. Despite having a substantial asset base of over 18 lakhs across its eight zones, the expected influx of funds has not been realized as projected. The BBMP had set a goal to collect assets worth approximately Rs 4,561 crore for the current year. However, as of the first half of August, only Rs 73.52 crore has been collected, and the total tax collection from April to August 15 stands at Rs 2,512 crore, primarily through property tax. The tax collection process has shown fluctuations throughout the year. Collection tends to be higher in the months of April and June, amassing around Rs 2,246 crore during this period. Property tax contributes significantly to the corporation’s revenue stream. Nonetheless, tax payments have not been meeting expectations in the initial half of August. Among the various zones, Mahadevpur leads in property tax collection, while Chamaraj Pete lags behind. At present, 55 percent of the targeted tax has been collected, indicating that there is still a gap of 45 percent to be fulfilled. To address this issue, the chief commissioner of the corporation has issued directives to senior officials to intensify efforts and enhance tax collection. In previous years, the BBMP had managed to collect Rs 2,800 crore in 2020-21 and Rs 3,100 crore in 2021-22. This year, the goal is to achieve a collection of Rs 4,561 crore. However, the current trend raises concerns about the organization’s ability to meet its target.
