Drones in sky, notices at door: How Bengaluru’s GBA caught nearly 10,000 property tax evaders

Officials are surveying around 10,000 properties daily using handheld GPS devices, while high-resolution drone images map actual built-up areas. This data undergoes quality control verification before being matched against tax declarations.

Authorities identified numerous instances in which property owners declared smaller built-up areas or failed to disclose commercial use, even when properties were partly or fully used for business. Such discrepancies directly reduce tax calculations and revenue collections.

“GPS-based ground data is matched with drone images and digitised maps. If there is a mismatch in declared area or usage, a showcause notice is issued asking owners to pay evaded tax along with interest and penalty,” the GBA stated.

Notices are sent via SMS and IVR for faster communication. Property owners who receive notices may respond or file appeals within 15 days via the official portal at http://BBMPenyaya.karnataka.gov.in. Those wishing to settle dues immediately can pay online at: http://BBMPtax.karnataka.gov.in

How the survey was conducted

– House visit, the GPS team carries the property tax data of properties in the mobile app.

– ⁠Visiting team member captures GPS data of each property and also records usage (residential/commercial/mixed, etc.) and area put to that use.
The property’s GPS data, usage details, and number of floors are sent from the mobile app to the backend.

– ⁠The QC team conducts a quality check on all received properties and data sent by the GPS team. Rejected cases are sent back to the GPS team for review.

– ⁠QC-passed cases are compared with drone data and the digitised built-up areas. If the built-up area exceeds what citizens have declared, or if the use is commercial (in whole or in part) and not disclosed, the system will generate showcause notices. These notices require the payment of evaded taxes, along with any applicable interest and penalties.