The Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) notified a steep hike in property tax, double at the very least, delivering a weekend shocker to Bengalureans.
Although slabs of the additional maintenance fee are uniform across BDA layouts, the impact on site owners differs as property tax varies. For instance, a 30ft x 40ft site owner in Nadaprabhu Kempegowda Layout who paid Rs 838 as property tax in 2020 must pay Rs 3,233 this year, a whopping 286% increase. Ditto with a 40ft x 60ft site owner in Anjanapura Layout – she now pays Rs 6,016 as tax whereas it was Rs 3,616 last year.
Scores of owners of large plots called STOI to complain about the hike. The BDA, BBMP and other public agencies usually raise rates by maximum 15%.
The BDA added new ‘maintenance charges’ to property tax, sparking anger because it’s yet to build roads in some layouts or has ignored upkeep in others. In new layouts, for example, allottees have been pleading with BDA, RERA and the government for basic amenities like roads, footpaths, sanitary pipelines and drinking water.