Bengaluru: With over 3 lakh vacant sites in the city, many outside the property tax net, Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) has said it will gradually map and tax such properties as it begins a citywide drive to clear overgrown plots.The move comes after only 30% of plot owners cleaned their sites despite repeated warnings and deadlines, prompting the civic body to step in. Officials estimate that nearly 70% of vacant plots remain uncleared, with notices issued to 189 owners.Speaking after inaugurating the clean-up drive in Domlur Thursday, Bengaluru development minister Krishna Byre Gowda said the authority would initially focus on vacant sites with e-khata records, allowing it to recover clean-up costs through property tax. “We do have issues with vacant lands not being under the tax net. As of now, we’re taking up those with e-khata so that we can recover the cost. Later, we’ll map the remaining vacant lands, bring them under the tax net and cover them accordingly,” he said.According to the revenue department, Bengaluru has more than 3 lakh vacant sites, many of which are yet to be brought under the tax system. Gowda said the exercise would help the civic body identify such properties and improve tax compliance.The minister also acknowledged the high cost of the clean-up operation and urged owners to clear their plots themselves. “The earth-moving machine (JCB) has to remain on site for hours and the waste has to be transported to designated disposal locations, most of which are on the city’s outskirts. These logistics significantly increase the cost,” he said.Under the ongoing “freedom from waste” campaign, authorities have so far cleared 1.2 lakh tonnes of construction and demolition waste across Bengaluru. Officials said clean-up costs incurred by the civic body would be recovered from owners through the property tax mechanism wherever applicable.C&D WASTE CLEARED SO FARGreater Bengaluru Authority: 67,152 MTBangalore Development Authority: 51,323 MTKarnataka Industrial Areas Development Board: 2,800 MTBangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board: 728 MTRail Infrastructure Development Company (Karnataka): 560 MTNational Highways Authority of India: 169 MTTotal: 1,22,732 MTOther WorksBescom: 6,173 poles/rods removed or raisedBMRCL: 2,143 cubic metres of waste clearedSource: GBA | MT: Metric tonnes
