
Govt. buildings owe huge outstanding service charges to BBMP
The Hindu
Ironically, many citizens have received notices asking them to remit property tax dues owing to wrong zonal classification
Many government buildings and departments owe the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), whose major revenue source is property tax, a lot of pending service charges. As per the earlier Karnataka Municipal Corporations Act, 1976, and the more recent BBMP Act, 2020, the civic body is liable to collect 25% of the property tax, known as service charge, from government buildings and departments. Ironically, many citizens have received notices from the civic body asking them to remit property tax dues owing to wrong zonal classification despite having paid property tax diligently. They are now outraged and seek to know what action the civic body is taking against the defaulters.
At PV Cherian Crescent Road, which derives its quietude in no small measure from the trees lining it, the axe struck twice last week, the first time on December 7, reducing one massive tree to a stump. According to a resident who wants to stay anonymous, when the workers were questioned about it, pat came the reply that the Corporation had ordered the hand that wielded the axe. With that explanation, residents who were disturbed by the cutting of the tree assumed there should be a justification for the act and let the matter rest. On December 12, the axe struck again, the Avenue’s arboreal wealth down by one more tree.

Nine months into the ‘Shishtachar’ (discipline/etiquette) drive, Delhi Police officers say the squads have offered more than an on-ground deterrence against harassment of women in public spaces. The steady presence of these teams on the streets, the officers claim, has revealed patterns of everyday misconduct, helped map pockets where offenders gather, enhanced visibility among women, and strengthened the feedback loop, which in turn has improved policing of such offences. Deputy Commissioner of Police (Outer Delhi) Sachin Sharma said the squads have detained 2,885 offenders over the past nine months and recorded a 45% decline in crimes against women, including cases of rape, molestation and harassment. “Overall, such cases have fallen sharply from 302 in 2024 to 165 in 2025 (till December 10),” he said. DCP (West) Darade Sharad Bhaskar reported similar numbers. “In nine months, we have detained over 2,500 offenders under various sections. The help and perspective we have received through the initiative has improved our approach. We have decided to introduce these squads to each police station in our district,” he said.











