Even as the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) celebrates receiving the prestigious SKOCH Silver Award 2025 for property tax reforms, concerns have been raised over the non-disclosure of details related to a Rs 21.89 crore LiDAR-based property survey project.
Citizens Demand Transparency
The Alert Citizens’ Forum has questioned the civic body’s transparency and demanded that all information related to the survey be made public.
Survey Data Withheld
While the municipal administration has widely publicised the SKOCH award through the media and its official platforms, the forum has pointed out that no detailed report or data from the LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) survey—conducted for accurate property mapping and revenue enhancement—has been shared with citizens.
Forum Raises Questions
“Why is the administration eager to publicise awards, but reluctant to disclose the outcomes of a Rs 21.89 crore project funded by taxpayers’ money?” the forum asked in a statement.
Image Over Accountability Alleged
The citizens’ group alleged that the civic body appears to be focusing more on image-building through publicity rather than accountability through transparent action. It cited past instances, including awards received for large-scale tree plantation drives, as examples where claims were highlighted without corresponding data being placed in the public domain.
Background of LiDAR Project
Providing background, the forum stated that the NMMC had decided in 2017 to adopt LiDAR technology to conduct a scientific survey of properties in the city to improve tax collection. The contract was awarded to a tech firm for Rs 21,89,95,544. Notably, the proposal was rejected by the then Standing Committee on March 6, 2019, reportedly due to concerns that unauthorised constructions would be exposed. However, the state government later overruled the decision by invoking special powers under Section 451(3) and approved the project.
RTI Reveals Spending
According to information obtained through the Right to Information (RTI) Act, an expenditure of Rs 15.57 crore had been incurred on the project up to August 2025. Despite this, the forum claims that the civic body has neither disclosed how many new properties were identified through the survey nor clarified the difference in property numbers before and after the survey, or the actual increase in revenue attributed to the exercise.
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Data Missing Online
The information has allegedly not been made available either on the NMMC website or through RTI replies.
Demand for Public Disclosure
The forum has demanded that, similar to the SKOCH award publicity, the decisions related to the LiDAR survey, tender process, contract details, survey maps, datasets, and figures showing growth in property numbers and tax revenue be uploaded on the municipal website and made accessible to citizens.
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