Curation Team
BENGALURU: Out of 1.4 lakh e-khata applications submitted by flat owners across the city, nearly 1.2 lakh were cleared without any objections, as their tax records and sale deeds were found to be in order, according to Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) data accessed by TOI.
Around 20,000 flats, however, were flagged for discrepancies. Interestingly, only 4,000 of these owners have filed appeals so far.
Authorities have stressed that individual cases should not be generalised, pointing out that 85% of flat owners have complied with the rules. “A section of residents has admitted to mistakes and is willing to pay the revised amounts, so we are not sure why the rest are acting up now. Eventually, they too will have to pay up for their errors,” said a senior revenue official.
Some residents, in fact, have already chosen to comply. “We realised that we under-declared the car parking area, which has now been taxed. We are willing to pay for it. There is no point in running from pillar to post when we know GBA will not change its stand and will eventually collect the dues anyway. Why try to wage a war?” said Atul Kishore, a resident of Bellandur.
Many others echoed similar sentiments, arguing that compliance would bring peace of mind. “Most people in our apartment complex have already settled the dues. Delays only complicate property sales or khata transfers in the future. It’s better to clear it now,” said Ramesh Gowda of Rajajinagar.
He added: “ARO told me that since car parking is often not included in the sale deed, we are now being asked to pay separately for it. While I disagree with this interpretation, I don’t want to waste time arguing with GBA officials. Nor am I interested in filing a petition or hiring a lawyer for such matters.”
However, not all residents are willing to accept the revised demands. Many argue that they are being penalised for no fault of their own. “I have been paying the property tax as advised by the authorities for years. If there is a mismatch now, it is not my fault. I will definitely contest this through the appeal process,” said Tulasi K Das, a Koramangala resident and retired private school teacher.
Others worry that blindly accepting revised notices will set the wrong precedent. “If 85% of owners have been cleared without issues, why should the rest of us be forced to pay for errors we did not commit? Appeals give us a chance to explain and get a fair hearing,” argued Sandeep Kulkarni, a techie and resident of Yelahanka.
GBA special commissioner (revenue) Munish Moudgil said the authority was open to addressing genuine concerns. “For those who have raised an appeal, we will address the matter case by case. If the charges are justified, they will stand. But if it is our fault, we are willing to fix it too,” he assured.
Know your new corporation on this portal
The splitting of BBMP into five new corporations came with a lot of confusion among citizens. Just as Bengaluru residents are wondering which of the five corporations their residences or offices fell under, the Greater Bengaluru Authority has introduced a new portal to clear the confusion.
The ‘Know Your Ward and New City Corporation’ portal provides details of the new corporations and the addresses of the zonal offices. Users can search based on their ward number (198 wards) or even based on the Google Maps location. Users can log on to: bbmp(dot)gov(dot)in and click on the KnowYourNewCorporation section.
