Data mining to help GHMC identify tax defaulters

After failing to meet its target of ₹1,400 crore property tax collection for the year 2017-18, Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) has begun an exercise to identify defaulters by matching its records with those of the other utilities such as power and water supply.

The corporation has observed that the registered properties in the GHMC as per the records were only 14.7 lakh, while a total of 17.3 lakh electricity connections existing in Hyderabad and 21.65 lakh more in Ranga Reddy district.

The Municipal Corporation constitutes the whole of Hyderabad and part of Ranga Reddy district, a release said.

The difference has spurred the GHMC to identify all un-assessed properties availing other facilities.

An algorithm designed to perform comparison, based on names and door numbers in the integrated database of ‘Citizen 360 Degree’, brought to fore 13.08 lakh electricity connections and 5.58 lakh water connections not matching with any of the GHMC records, the statement said.

To take the observation to logical conclusion, a pilot ‘SMS Campaign’ has been initiated to send messages to all these property owners to voluntarily come forward for property assessment.

“The project will be launched in full force after April first week. It will be implemented after rectifying the anomalies bound to happen in data mining through inspection and field verification.

Similar exercise is also planned for trades established in the GHMC area paying Goods and Services Tax, but not trade license fee.

This will help identify new tax payers, and scrutiny of existing tax payers, and defaulters, the statement said.