Thousands of property owners in Bengaluru are protesting a new rule requiring them to deposit 50% of disputed property tax dues before civic authorities will hear their appeals against revised assessments.
The notices have been issued by the Greater Bengaluru Authority, which claims that around 23,000 property owners underreported their built-up area while paying property tax under the self-assessment scheme.
According to officials, the properties were reassessed using drone surveys that allegedly identified larger taxable areas than those declared by owners. Citizens have since begun receiving demand notices seeking payment of property tax dues, penalties, cess and interest dating back to the 2020-21 financial year.
Many residents, especially senior citizens, have expressed concern over the requirement to pay half the disputed amount before an appeal can be considered.
BC Sheshadri, a resident of JP Nagar, said the deposit could amount to ₹50,000 or more for several homeowners. He said his sister, a senior citizen living on a family pension, received a demand notice despite responding earlier to a show-cause notice issued in February.
According to him, the family had requested officials to conduct a physical inspection to verify the actual built-up area, but no such inspection had taken place. He alleged that the corporation was now demanding more than ₹1 lakh based solely on drone survey findings.
Another resident from JP Nagar II Phase said he had declared all modifications made to his house over the years, including a small room on the second floor and roofing sheets placed over the terrace. He believes the drone survey may have incorrectly classified the covered roof area as additional construction.
Several residents also questioned why the civic body had earlier introduced a one-time settlement (OTS) scheme for tax defaulters while now penalising taxpayers who had regularly paid taxes under the self-assessment system.
Vidyaranyapura resident Ravi Krishnamurthy alleged that the corporation was charging double the difference amount along with 24% interest, despite continuing to accept property tax payments for 2026-27 under the original self-assessment figures.
Responding to the criticism, Munish Moudgil said most of the property owners issued notices were genuinely liable to pay additional tax.
He stated that residents had been given three to four months to appeal against the show-cause notices, and around 7,000 to 8,000 people had already filed appeals and were temporarily excluded from further action.
Moudgil added that if property owners successfully prove their original assessment was correct, the notices would be withdrawn and the deposited amount could either be refunded or adjusted against future liabilities. However, he clarified that the final decision on refunds or adjustments would rest with the respective corporations.
