Bengaluru: In an effort to mobilise resources and to fix the loopholes in tax collection, the State Government has decided to entrust property tax and utility bills dues  collection in local bodies to women Self-help Groups (SHG).

Announcing this while speaking to press persons after the State Cabinet meeting here yesterday, Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister H.K. Patil said that, the responsibility of collecting pending property tax dues and utility bills in all local bodies, barring BBMP, will be entrusted to women Self-help Groups.

Clarifying that there would be no tax collection drive in rural areas, Patil said that, the property tax dues in local bodies was mounting due to shortage of staff and other reasons. Pointing out that property tax dues had touched  Rs. 1,860 crore in city Corporations such as Mysuru, Mangaluru, Hubballi-Dharwad and Davangere and other urban local bodies, he said that. the Government would give 5 percent of the collected money as incentive to women Self-help Groups.

Continuing, the Minister reiterated that the Cabinet took this decision as the pending dues collection was enormous, which cannot be handled by the available staff of local bodies alone.

Pointing out that, there were 51 lakh properties in the jurisdiction of local bodies in the State coming under Property Tax net, he said that over 30 lakh houses have been provided power and water connections.

Regretting that property owners were not paying up their taxes in time, Patil said that, the Government has roped in women Self-help Groups as a partner in the pending tax collection dues.