Government plans to reform property tax assessment

The Orissa government plans to introduce the latest technology like satellite mapping for assessment of property tax in a bid to avoid the problem of under assessment on this front.

Unit method will be adopted for assessment of the property tax also known as holding tax of the dwelling units and the government will outsource this specialised service wherever required.

The State Finance Commission (SFC) has been requested to recommend funds for this purpose, said housing and urban development minister, Badri Narayan Patro.

Talking to the media after a meeting with the Commission, Patro said, a detailed proposal in this regard will be submitted by the housing and urban development department soon.

Similarly, a study is proposed to be taken up for assessing the man power requirement of the municipalities. As the stature and the financial position of the municipalities have increased in the recent times, it has become imperative to assess the man power requirement.

An independent consultant needs to be appointed for such studies and SFC has been requested to make available funds for the purpose.

The Commission has also been requested to continue the 20 percent increase in outlay of the urban local bodies (ULBs) as recommended by the earlier SFC.