The failure of the Mysuru City Corporation (MCC) to meet its property tax target came under focus during a pre-budget meeting convened on Tuesday.
The meeting was chaired by the newly elected Mayor, Tasneem, and convened to elicit feedback on raising revenue and identifying thrust areas.
Former Mayor B.L. Bhyrappa said the revenue officials should be pulled up for their failure to meet the target. He said there were many layouts within the MCC where owners were not prompt in paying property tax though all civic amenities are being extended by the MCC to these layouts, mostly revenue and private extension.
He urged the authorities to expedite the launch of on-line system of payment of property tax as it would help increase the collection, given the ease with which the public can make payments.
Sandesh Swamy, another former Mayor, said the MCC revenue has been stagnant since the last few years and there was no growth and hence officials should be given stiff financial target.
Though there are thousands of commercial outlets and complexes, not many traders were prompt in paying trade tax and property tax.
Similarly, a section of the citizens living in the MUDA layouts were paying property tax to the MUDA though all services are being provided by the MCC and hence the Commissioner should set right the anomaly, he added.
The general perception and feedback of the councillors was that the city was registering rapid growth while its revenue was shrinking or has remained stagnant. The water tax due from the consumers runs into crores of rupees and efforts should be made to collect the same to shore up revenue, said Purushottam, a former councillor and former Mayor.
R. Lingappa said many of the projects mooted in the budget are not implemented at all due to shortage of funds and hence there should be no compromise on tax collection.
He said the projects mooted in the budget should not be based on notional revenue or income given the uncertainty of realising them.
Former Mayor Pushpalatha Jagannath and others were also present.
