The State may have given a 50% rebate to ex-servicemen on property tax, but the city’s civic body apparently hasn’t. For the second straight year, despite several complaints and petitions to fix the bug, the software through which citizens pay their property tax has not factored in the rebate for ex-servicemen.
The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) introduced a software developed by the National Informatics Centre in 2016, discarding the previous one as it had multiple bugs. However, the new software has not factored in the rebate, which has been in force in the city since 2012.
Wg. Cdr. (Retd.) G.B. Athri told The Hindu that the rebate clause had been a glitch in the BBMP software even before 2016. He said he had written to multiple mayors and city commissioners seeking rectification, but to no avail. “It is a simple glitch. But the civic body hasn’t done it, which clearly shows how the bureaucracy treats veterans,” he rued. Copies of the letters written by Wg. Cdr. Athri are available with The Hindu.
He is not the only ex-serviceman to raise the issue. Sqn. Ldr. (ret.) C.S. Chandramouli, a resident of Jalvayu Vihar, said that after facing trouble in availing rebate last year, a temporary arrangement was made and he paid only half the property tax, factoring in the rebate. However, he said, this year when he tried to pay the tax, not only was the rebate not reflected in the software, but the rebate amount from the previous year was shown as outstanding due. Mr. Athri also said that last year’s rebate, which he had availed after repeated complaints, was shown as outstanding amount this year.
M.K. Gunashekhar, chairman of the Standing Committee on Taxation and Finance, BBMP, acknowledged the issue. “It is our fault that the rebate to ex-servicemen has not been included [in the software]. I have called for a property tax review meeting on April 13, where I will ensure to get the glitch fixed,” he said.
Mr. Athri said that while a few ex-servicemen could afford to pay property without rebate, there are thousands of jawans for whom the rebate is a significant relief.
