Kolkata: The Kolkata Municipal Corporation’s (KMC) Mayor Firhad Hakim said that the civic body will ensure within the next year that there are no “unassessed properties within the KMC area” while the civic body is also working towards a “slum-free city through the Banglar Bari scheme”.
Addressing the House during KMC’s second-day Budget session on Tuesday, Hakim said: “KMC is taking action to ensure there are no unassessed properties in Kolkata.”
He added that within the “next year, all properties will come under tax assessment under the Unit Area Assessment scheme”.
He said KMC will arrange for camps in big housing complexes to help people fill up assessment forms and also help them get the mutation of their properties done. The number of registered assesses has increased to Rs 9.14 lakh (upto January 31, 2023).
As per KMC data, the civic body has managed to bring down the number of pending mutation cases to 721 from 3453. Reduction in numbers was mainly possible due to the ‘Duare Poura Pariseva’ initiative where camps were organised in KMC wards for mutation and self-assessment-related issues were taken care of by the assessment collection department.
In 2022-23, KMC collected Rs 975 crore till January 31, 2023, compared to Rs 890 crore in 2021-22.
In the property tax waiver scheme floated in 2020, a reasonable amount of outstanding dues, Rs 535 crore approximately has been collected by the assessment department.
Hakim also highlighted that due to prompt measures by the KMC of having opened the ‘thika’ cell at KMC headquarters, several illegal constructions on ‘thika’ lands have come down. “One can now easily obtain a sanction plan for construction of their properties on thika land,” he maintained.
Further, the mayor highlighted that KMC has envisioned a slum-free Kolkata. “For this, we are giving a thrust on the Banglar Bari scheme. Although a slum-free Kolkata cannot be achieved in one day, we are taking small steps towards it. Several projects under this scheme have already been implemented in places such as Maayer Bari in Bagbazar, Canal South Road, Nonadanga etc. More will come up,” he assured.
Replying to queries of Opposition councillors as to what happened to the project of taking overhead cables underground, Hakim highlighted KMC already conducted a pilot project of taking overhead cables underground in areas in Harish Mukherjee Road, Alipore and North Kolkata.
“To implement the same throughout the city, a huge capital investment is required. We will try to see if funds can be arranged for the same,” Hakim said.
The mayor also pointed out that soon, the area of Thanthania Kalibari in North Kolkata will not witness water logging due to drainage pumps that are being installed there. The state government has already sanctioned the funds for the project, he informed the House.