TUESDAY, JULY 02, 2024
Team Herald
VASCO: The Mormugao Municipal Council on Friday started the Geographical Information Survey (GIS)-based mapping of properties, so as to bring them under revenue collection.
The Mormugao municipal council became the first council in South Goa district to start GIS-based survey of urban local properties. The ongoing exercise has been already completed in most of the municipal councils in North Goa district, while it was underway in the Corporation of the City of Panaji (CCP).
Highlighted the importance of the GIS-based survey, Savio D’Souza from Goa State Urban Development Agency (GSUDA) said that it was important for proper property tax assessment. Most of the properties in urban areas had not been accounted for, causing revenue leakage. Conducting a GIS-based survey of all structures/properties, both authorised and unauthorised, will make everything transparent and visible on a unified Goa map, which will also the people to view all mapped data, he added.
D’Souza clarified that mapping will not change the legal standing of structures and it was only for revenue collection, since some residents had extended their houses without updating their tax information.
All these extended or expanded areas will now be captured and taxed accordingly.
The GIS-based mapping project has funded by the Fifteenth Finance Commission. This work in remaining municipal council from South Goa district will be completed within next 18 months by M/sKolbro Group Pvt Ltd.
Mormugao Chairperson Girish Borker said that properties of Central organisations like the Indian Navy and Railways will also be mapped and will be brought under tax net besides providing financial stability to the municipality. He recalled that the registered property count survey in Mormugao council was carried out in 28 years ago.
