Property tax: NKDA collects 25% more than previous year

KOLAKATA: The New Town Kolkata Development Authority collected property tax worth Rs 63.06 crore in 2021-22, which is 25 per cent more than the previous year. NKDA collected Rs 53.52 crore in 2019-2020 and Rs 50.47 crore in 2020-21.

NKDA identified non payment dues and launched drives which have helped it to collect 70 per cent of the outstanding payment.

NKDA assesses property tax through the Unit Area Assessment Methodology which has resulted in standardization of the property tax system based on location, area, purpose of use, age of the property, nature of occupancy. This is turn has enabled assessees to self assess their tax liability and make subsequent payment through the online Property Tax Assessment and Payment facility provided by NKDA. Currently around 44,000 assessees are covered by the Property Tax regime of NKDA.

NKDA had organised special camps between March 15 and March 31, 2022 to enable all assesses to redress their property tax related queries and make payment on a priority basis. More than 1300 citizens visited the camps and sorted out their property tax related issued and made the necessary payment. Steps had been taken to identity the non assessees. Consumer data from the WBSEDCL, mutation and solid

waste management data base of NKDA and vacant land data from HIDCO had helped to identify the non assessees. This has resulted in an addition of over 2000 assessees to NKDA's tax base.

Collection of property tax is a major issue in the municipalities and civic bodies including the Kolkata Municipal Corporation. The number of those not paying property tax is going up every year in the civic bodies. NKDA due to sustained effort has identified those who are not paying

the tax as well as the non assessees.New Town has a population of about 10 lakh people. To address the queries of the residents a dedicated help desk has been made operational on the ground floor of the new administrative building of NKDA.