Residents upset as ‘faulty’ GIS survey leads to ‘inflated’ house tax bills

The private company asserts that it has proposed a 25% increment in house taxes for 2.41 lakh homes, but notifications have only been dispatched to 55,000 residences so far.

LUCKNOW The GIS survey, being conducted by a private agency, has come under the scanner in Lucknow. The process has allegedly led to the issuance of erroneous house tax bills to approximately 55,000 residences in the city.

The survey, executed by a private company, has now become a source of distress for the city’s residents. (HT Photp)

With the objective of identifying property owners who haven’t been paying their house taxes, the Lucknow Municipal Corporation (LMC) is undertaking a GIS survey at a cost of ₹10 crore. The survey, executed by a private company, has now become a source of distress for the city’s residents.

The inhabitants are blaming the LMC for raising their house taxes without granting them an opportunity for discussion or considering their perspectives. They have also accused the private company of conducting inaccurate surveys and presenting erroneous data.

A resident of Gomti Nagar said, “Even though hostels within colleges are exempt from taxation, a college received an inflated bill. Moreover, they levied taxes on sections that are exempt from such charges. Presently, the college administration is grappling to rectify the bill.”

The private company asserts that it has proposed a 25% increment in house taxes for 2.41 lakh homes, but notifications have only been dispatched to 55,000 residences so far. The remaining 1.85 lakh homes are yet to receive notifications. Nonetheless, those who have received notices have chosen not to settle their taxes unless the “inflated” bills are rectified.

Consequently, the municipal corporation’s revenue collection from these properties has got stuck. In light of the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, the LMC is striving to collect taxes by December of this year, instead of the originally planned date of March next year. With the elections on the horizon, the LMC will be constrained from taking stringent actions against tax defaulters, making it imperative to recover maximum taxes by December.

Certain LMC officials acknowledge the presence of errors in the GIS survey. They even concede that due to the faulty GIS survey, the tax payment process, which should have been straightforward, is also encountering obstacles.

Meanwhile, the private company which was expected to conclude the GIS survey within two years is yet to complete it even after five years. Only 40% of the survey has been completed across 80 wards, and in 30 wards, the survey has yet to commence.

Commenting on the matter, municipal commissioner Inderjeet Singh stated, “There is a lack of understanding among people regarding the essence of the GIS survey. The survey provides the LMC with an overview of the property, which must be interpreted in terms of taxation. We are now moving forward with drone surveys, which offer greater precision compared to the GIS survey. If the city has issued over 13.5 lakh power bills, it is perplexing that LMC is collecting taxes from only 5 to 6 lakh residences. A property cannot possess more than two power connections. The GIS survey has indeed identified properties that were previously evading payments. Thus, blaming the increase in house tax solely on the GIS survey is unjust.”

He further added, “Should any resident feel unfairly targeted or observe an erroneous tax assessment by an LMC official, they should approach the relevant tax inspector or zonal officer. Adjustments to the tax assessment will be made accordingly in genuine cases.”