Bill to punish officers for failing to collect property tax tabled in Karnataka Assembly

Bengaluru: The state government on Monday tabled two Bills in the Assembly, which includes one that seeks to impose a fine on and imprison municipal officials who fail to collect property tax dues.

Another Bill seeks to check theft of water from irrigation canals, as was promised by Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar in the Assembly last week. 

The Karnataka Municipalities and Certain Other Law (Amendment) Bill, piloted by Urban Development Minister B S Suresha (Byrathi), contains provisions to levy a penalty on officers. 

“Any officer or employee of the municipality who fails to collect property tax dues under assessment of property tax or any financial causes to the municipality, shall be fined up to Rs 50,000 in each case and may also be punished with simple imprisonment for 15 days,” the Bill states.

The Bill also contains a provision empowering municipalities to collect property tax from unauthorised buildings.

These include buildings constructed in violation of bye-laws, or on unauthorised layouts, revenue land, those occupied without occupancy or completion certificates and so on.

These properties will have to pay double the property tax payable for the first year. This is an extension of a provision that exists under the BBMP Act. 

However, property tax levy is exempted for buildings constructed illegally on government land or land belonging to any local body, statutory body or an organisation owned or controlled by the government, according to the Bill.

Water theft

The Karnataka Irrigation (Amendment) Bill proposes a fine of Rs 2 lakh (up from Rs 1,000) and imprisonment of up to two years (from one year) for siphoning off water from irrigation canals. 

It defines the violation as: piercing or cutting through canal or pipe, inserts pipe by piercing or cutting canal or put engine or any other equipment in canal causing damage to the stability or safety of the canal (sic). 

The proposed law requires users of irrigation water desiring to drill, dig a well, create an artificial pond or any sort of storage on both sides of the canal up to 500 metres from the centre to seek a permit. Even existing groundwater users within 500 metres from the centre of a lift irrigation system or canal have to get themselves registered
within six months, the Bill states.