March 31: MCD extends deadline for geo-tagging yet again

It has now come to the notice of the MCD’s assessment and collection department that a large number of taxpayers have not geo-tagged their properties yet. “In order to give an opportunity to taxpayers to geo-tag their properties, it has been decided to extend the last date of geo-tagging of properties by taxpayers till March 31, 2024,” read the order.

Geo-tagging properties means digitally mapping a property with the geographic information system (GIS). This means that a property can be identified on a map with its unique and permanent latitude and longitude coordinates. MCD officials say that the capital’s property geo-tagging exercise will have several benefits, not only for the corporation but also for residents.

Another advantage of geo-tagging is the ability to pinpoint illegal and unauthorised properties and colonies. This will help in urban planning, as it will allow the civic body to take corrective actions as required. The civic body was initially targeting the geo-tagging of 4 lakh non-residential properties, for which MCD officials were visiting commercial properties to carry out the exercise. To save costs incurred, a provision of self-geotagging was introduced for residential properties. “The significance of this effort in contrast to the significant expenditures incurred by cities like Mumbai and Bangalore for property Geo-tagging,” Deputy Mayor Aley Mohammad Iqbal had earlier said during a statement to the press.

Not everyone, meanwhile, is happy with this exercise. “Many have complained that they are unable to self geo-tag the properties… there are many senior citizens who are unable to complete the task on their own,” Sharaf Sabri, general secretary of Jangpura RWA, had earlier told the Indian Express.

Meanwhile, Savita Soni from the Vasant Kunj RWA had said that there is simply no awareness about the process. “We have organised training camps at various locations to provide training to citizens to geotag their homes. In these training camps, citizens were informed about the need and benefits of geo-tagging of their properties,” sources said.

“All property owners/occupiers, who have not geo-tagged their properties so far are requested to geo-tag their property by due date i.e. 31st March, 2024. If the taxpayer fails to geo-tag their property, he/she cannot avail the rebate on lump sum payment of tax by June 30, 2024, in the next financial year (2024-25),” the MCD said in its order.