CHENNAI: Residents of Chennai can soon calculate on their own the property tax they need to pay to the Chennai Corporation, without meeting government officials, if a proposal from the civic body is passed next week.
After a long wait, the Corporation Council is all set to pass a resolution on Monday permitting residents to carry out self-assessment of property tax. Once the Council gives its consent to the resolution, over 700 licensed surveyors will help residents in the self-assessment drive. The proposal was made a few years ago, but its implementation was delayed due to resistance by a group of officials from the Corporation Revenue Department.
The data collected by residents with help from licensed surveyors to measure their homes and shops will have to be fed online for self-assessment. Residents may use the certificate to apply for power and water supply connections.
“Residents now face a lot of difficulty in assessment of property tax for buildings. There is delay of several months. At least 6,000 buildings were assessed after more than six months last year. This leads to loss of revenue,” said an official of Chennai Corporation.
The civic body’s electronic data processing cell completed the application based on a study of questions relating to existing online application for property tax assessment. Property owners will be able to get assessment orders on the same day of submission. Corporation will also accept payment of property tax immediately. Currently, the property tax assessment orders are issued only after field inspection of the property is completed.
Thousands of owners of buildings in added areas are expected to be included in the tax net this year. The properties that have completed self-assessment will be randomly selected for cross verification by officials later.
Door-to-door verification may also be taken up by officials concerned after a few months.
