Women from SHGs brave tough terrain for tax gain

For the past one month, members of women self-help groups (SHGs) have become a common sight in remote villages of Uttara Kannada.

Trudging through tough terrain, these women are on an unusual mission: bring houses and plots under the tax net.

Nearly 608 teams of women have been trained to assess properties in nearly 1,280 villages and 7,400 difficult-to-access habitations.

Their job involves convincing residents (some hostile) to provide details of their property – residential plots or houses – so that it can be evaluated and brought under the tax bracket of the government.

Each team, consisting of two to five members, has been assessing an average of 25 to 40 houses per day from mid-September and the process of evaluating properties is expected to be completed by mid-November.

In March, the state government issued orders to all Zilla Panchayats (ZPs) to take the help of SHGs to access properties in rural areas. However, sources in the Revenue Department told DH that this is happening only in Uttara Kannada district as of now.

Other districts currently depend on bill collectors and Panchayat Development Officers (PDOs) to collect taxes. Sources say third-party assessment is necessary as there are properties that have been undervalued or go unrecorded.

The ZP office is expecting that the third-party inspections will help increase their revenue as more properties will come under the taxable bracket.

The women collect data on the dimensions of the property; whether they are open sites or constructed buildings, if they are kutcha or pucca houses among others. The information is entered in a printed booklet along with photographic evidence.

Based on the data provided, gram panchayat surveyors and PDOs will cross-check details and revise taxes as per government rates.

Speaking to DH, Uttara Kannada ZP Chief Executive Officer Priyanga M said the main intention of this exercise is to bring all the taxable properties under ‘Pancha Tantra’, a software developed by the Department of Rural Development and Panchayat Raj (RDPR) and the National Informatics Centre.

“We are using the SHGs as third-party assessors. Based on the report, gram panchayats will levy taxes on these properties. Gram panchayats will get greater tax revenue, and the SHGs will have additional sources of income,” she said.

The women face challenges of accessibility and the hostility of those being surveyed.

Shobha Ramachandra Naik, member of the Sri Maha-Ganesh SHG, Shetgeri, said, “While some are hostile and do not want to give details, as they fear our survey could increase their tax burden, the majority of the residents have been cooperative.”

The evaluators get Rs 20 per a surveyed property.

Savitri Naik of Srikatyayini Swasahaya Gram Panchayat Okkuta in Aversa said, “There is a sense of achievement among the team, as the work we are doing now was once considered men’s domain.”