Delhi civic body will use drones to verify property details in self-assessment forms

NEW DELHI: The Municipal Corporation of Delhi has decided to use drones to verify the details submitted by residents during the self-assessment of their properties while paying tax.

On a pilot basis, a survey has already been carried out in Mohan Cooperative Industrial Area on Mathura Road. The services of an organisation, which conducted a similar exercise in Lucknow and Varanasi, have been roped in.

The survey will help verify the exact use of properties, the number of floors and the covered area, and also check if any construction has been done on the terrace.

Based on the results of the pilot project, the tender will be floated for other planned areas. “We are cross-checking the information collected with our database. In a five-day survey, we have collected information on 347 properties in the area. The drone can survey the areas closely and collect information. It will also help identify people who are not paying tax,” an official said.

Traders, however, have accused the civic body of harassing those who have already been paying taxes, instead of focusing on bringing defaulters under the tax net.

“Last year also, MCD had issued notices to traders and a majority of these were baseless. It took us a year to resolve the matter,” said Arun Popli, chairman of the Okhla Industrial Association.

Officials said that notices would be issued to those who have carried out vertical or horizontal extensions on their property and failed to disclose the same in the self-assessment forms. “We will give enough time to people to submit their replies online and ask them to pay the pending amount,” an official said, adding that property tax was one of the main sources of revenues for the civic body.