Private agencies in Chennai to start visiting homes for correction of measurement for property tax

Councillors demand increase in the number of posts of tax assessors from 70 to 200 and demand recruitment to fill the vacancies instead of allowing private companies to assess properties

The Greater Chennai Corporation Council on Thursday resolved to permit private agencies to take up reassessment of properties. | Photo Credit: B. Jothi Ramalingam

The Greater Chennai Corporation will soon send teams from private agencies to measure and reassess 2.7 lakh properties, including houses and commercial establishments in various parts of the city.

The civic body will announce the schedule of reassessment in each street ahead of the visit of the teams.

Chennai Corporation Council passed a resolution on Thursday to permit private companies to reassess the properties that are under-assessed. “We expect an increase in property tax demand by ₹250 crore per annum after the completion of the reassessment in 14 months,” said an official.

The drone survey was done a few years ago and GIS was adopted to identify the underassessed properties. 

Pointing to the inadequate number of tax assessors, councillors demanded the filling of posts of tax assessors instead of sending private companies to measure the houses. Councillors demanded an increase in the number of tax assessors from 70 to 200. 

Corporation Commissioner Gagandeep Singh Bedi said the civic body will fill vacancies soon. “The teams will complete the measurement in a short period of time and the final decision will be made by the officials. This will increase the GCC’s own source of revenue,” said Mr. Bedi.

“We are taking a lead in this GIS-based system for such purposes,” said Mr. Bedi. “Of the 13 lakh buildings, 2.7 lakh buildings have been underassessed. We have checked 30,000 buildings and the property tax has increased by ₹65 crore,” said Mr. Bedi.