Patna : The Patna Municipal Corporation (PMC) has stepped up its property tax campaign to expand the tax base, reassess existing properties and recover outstanding dues.
Municipal Commissioner Yashpal Meena has directed officials to form three special teams focusing on untaxed properties, reassessment and recovery from major defaulters. The teams have been given 15 days to complete their assigned work and submit progress reports.
The latest drive builds on the corporation’s broader effort to use electricity consumer data to identify properties that may not have been brought into the municipal tax system.
6 Lakh Electricity Records Under Check
The corporation has received data on around 6 lakh electricity consumers and is using the information to verify property tax records.
Through its control room, officials are contacting consumers by phone to check whether property tax has been assessed for the concerned property. Properties found outside the tax net will be assessed according to applicable rules.
PMC had earlier reported a significant gap between electricity connections and registered properties, making electricity data an important source for identifying potentially unassessed properties.
4,000 Apartments And Buildings To Be Reassessed
The civic body has supplied all municipal circles with a list of around 4,000 apartments and buildings for verification and reassessment.
Officials will check property assessments against the actual use, built-up area, road category and other applicable parameters. The exercise is also intended to identify cases where changes in construction or property use have not been updated in the Property Identification Number (PID) records.
PMC has also found instances where different flats in the same building were assessed using different road categories, potentially resulting in discrepancies in tax calculations.
Rs 80 Crore In Property Tax Dues
Around 1.5 lakh properties in the municipal area have outstanding property tax dues estimated at approximately Rs 80 crore.
Among these, 689 properties have dues exceeding Rs 1 lakh each. The corporation will initially contact major defaulters personally and by phone to seek payment.
Officials may initiate legal action against those who continue to default, in accordance with applicable rules. A current report on the drive also says PMC is focusing its 15-day campaign on recovering the outstanding amount and improving compliance.
Malls, Hospitals And Commercial Buildings Also In Focus
The reassessment will extend to major commercial properties, including malls, private hospitals, banquet halls, market complexes and other large establishments.
Town planners and architects will verify the actual built-up area and property use and compare them with approved building plans and municipal records.
Cases involving construction beyond approved plans, building bylaw violations or irregularities in self-assessment will be examined for action under the applicable rules.
1.5% Additional Penalty From October 1
Taxpayers who do not pay their 2026-27 holding tax within the prescribed period are set to face an additional 1.5% penalty from October 1.
The corporation is sending messages to taxpayers urging them to make payments before the penalty takes effect.
PMC currently has around 3 lakh holding tax payers. Its official property tax system provides facilities for new assessment, self-assessment, reassessment, property searches and online tax payments.
Three Commercial Complexes Also Planned
Alongside the tax collection drive, PMC is pursuing a plan to develop three multi-storey commercial complexes under the Bihar Urban Transformation Programme, with proposed financial assistance from the World Bank.
The proposed locations are Arya Kumar Road, Khaitan Market and near the AN College water tank. A World Bank representative has inspected the proposed site near the AN College water tank.
Three-Acre Site Planned As Modern Commercial Hub
In the Patliputra circle, a commercial complex has been proposed on around three acres of encroachment-free municipal land.
