Bhuvan Phase-II: MAUD resumes mapping of properties

HYDERABAD: The Municipal Administration and Urban Development has resumed the mapping of properties under Bhuvan Phase-II in 139 Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) except Mulugu and Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC). Commissioner and Director of Municipal Administration N Satyanarayana has issued directions to all ULB municipal commissioners to take up property mapping of around 15 lakh households and complete the same by the end of July, 2021 through the Bhuvan app.

Municipal commissioners had initiated property mapping during July and August last year and completed mapping around 4.50 lakh properties in 139 ULBs. However, in view of the Covid-19 pandemic, the said work for the remaining 10.5 lakh households was halted. The work has now been resumed and will be flowed through by keeping in mind the Covid-19 protocol.

According to sources, ULBs have also shared revised user lists wherever changes have occurred and the same is being mapped through the mobile app to extract data from the time of the property mapping. With respect to new ULBs, the Property Tax Identification Number (PTIN) consisted of 15 digits at the time of the property mapping in 2020, and has now been revised to 10 digits.

The PTINs with corresponding PTINs (old and new) are being shared with ULBs for easy identification. The CDMA has warned municipal commissioners that any delay in completion of the said survey within the time limit will be viewed seriously and appropriate action initiated against erring officials. 

The DMA department, in coordination with the National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC), developed the Bhuvan Integrated Application by mapping all properties in ULBs and capturing all their major revenue sources. Through this app, realistic data is being captured with an aim to increase tax base without actually increasing tax rates. 

The app helps in identifying under-assessed or un-assessed properties by matching their images with satellite imagery. The initiative also helps citizens view his/her property in a spatial form with complete details without having to visit the local body office or having any human interface. On the other hand, ULB officials can check the details without visiting the property and review the tax accordingly.

The app has been used to capture 20.80 lakh property tax assessments, 6.79 lakh water tap connection assessments, 1.45 lakh trade license assessments, and 4,000 advertisement hoarding and cell towers assessments.