Bhopal News: With Eye On Revenue, BMC Roots For Public Display Of Defaulters’ List

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): The Bhopal Municipal Corporation (BMC) will soon begin publicly displaying the names of major tax defaulters along with their pending dues at prominent city intersections. The initiative is set to begin next month, following instructions issued to all 21 zonal officers and ward in-charges.

BMC officials estimate that if taxes were collected honestly from government institutions, major colonisers, and private establishments, annual revenue could exceed Rs 1,000 crore, over Rs 400 crore more than the current levels. 

This isn’t the first time the corporation has used this approach. Commissioner Sanskriti Jain seems to be reviving the approach of her predecessor, K.V.S. Choudhary Kolsani, under whose tenure a similar campaign was launched to tackle the city’s financial shortfall by publicly naming major defaulters.

However, officials and observers note that in the past, only the names of individual or small-scale taxpayers were made public, while large government departments owing crores of rupees in unpaid taxes remained unaffected. It remains to be seen whether the current campaign will address this gap.

The BMC’s renewed focus on revenue collection comes after directives from the Municipal Administration Department. During Kolsani’s tenure, revenue collections had crossed Rs 1,000 crore, but since then, the growth has stagnated despite a change in leadership.

Most property taxpayers failed to pay

Out of 5.5 lakh property taxpayers last year, over 3.2 lakh failed to pay, including around 1.5 to 2 lakh commercial properties with a potential revenue of Rs 500 crore.

Detailed lists being made

Commissioner Jain has directed revenue department officials to prepare detailed lists of all major defaulters who have failed to pay property tax for several years. These lists are currently being compiled across various zones and ward offices. Once finalised, the names and outstanding amounts of the top defaulters will be displayed publicly at major intersections throughout Bhopal.

BMC falling short of revenue collection targets each year

2024-25: Rs 589 crore collection, approximately 33% short of target.

2023-24: Rs 503 crore collection, approximately 36% short of target.

2022-23: Rs 496 crore collection, approximately 40% short of target.