HDMC to conduct property Geographic Information System survey

Hubballi: The Hubballi-Dharwad Municipal Corporation (HDMC) is planning to conduct a Geographic Information System (GIS) survey to bring all hidden properties under the property tax net.
As HDMC is going through a huge cash crunch, corporators are pressing for a GIS survey to know the number of properties owned by the civic bodies along with the open sites, encroachment of properties and others and bring them under tax net to increase revenue. The demand for a GIS survey has been there since 2016.
Former mayor Veeranna Savadi said that every year many properties come up in the city. “However, most of them are not included in the civic body’s property tax net. With the help of GIS, high quality satellite images will be generated, and the size of big properties will be determined. The data collected will be cross-checked with the data of properties available with the property tax department,” he said.
“In 2016, the estimated cost for the GIS survey was Rs 3 crore. Because of a fund crunch it was not conducted. This time the GIS survey may cost more, but HDMC should conduct it once and for all, and improve its revenue sources,” he added.
Mayor Iresh Anchtageri said there is a need for a GIS survey. In a recent general body meeting, the need of GIS survey was discussed to increase HDMC’s revenue. “I am in for of GIS survey, but officials will be asked to conduct the survey of all required information which includes, open sites, total properties, UGD network, drinking water pipelines, nalas, electric poles, lights and other aspects instead of conducting survey for a single purpose,” he added.
“In Hubballi-Dharwad, there are reputed colleges which can conduct the GIS survey. To save costs, I am planning to talk to the reputed engineering colleges in Hubballi and Dharwad and involve them in the GIS survey, which can not only help save costs but also enable colleges to serve HDMC,” he said.
HDMC commissioner B Gopalkrishna said, “GIS survey is direly needed, but before going for it, we will wait for the report of a survey conducted by Hubballi-Dharwad Smart City Ltd. If the survey by HDSCL doesn't help, then we will go for GIS survey.”