Bidhannagar Municipal Corporation Property Tax Portal Opens with Steep Penalties

SALT LAKE: The Bidhannagar Municipal Corporation (BMC) officially opened its online property tax portal for the 2026-27 financial year this morning, but the announcement came with a stern warning for defaulters. In a bid to clear a backlog of unpaid dues, the corporation has implemented an automated system that applies a 10% penalty and a 10% interest rate on all arrears from the 2025-26 period.

The portal, which went live at 11:00 AM, introduces several new features, including a “Building Assessment Number” search tool designed to reduce manual errors during payment. Residents of Salt Lake, Rajarhat, and Gopalpur can now pay their taxes via the official BMC website or at designated HDFC Bank branches. The corporation aims to generate significant revenue to fund a series of “monsoon-readiness” projects, including the desilting of the Kestopur canal and the installation of new smart-LED streetlights across Sector V.

Despite the convenience of the digital system, many residents’ associations have expressed concern over the high penalties. “The financial year has just begun, and people are still recovering from the economic shifts of the last quarter. A 10% penalty is heavy-handed,” said a representative of the Salt Lake Residents’ Forum. However, BMC officials insist that the penalties are necessary to ensure civic discipline and to maintain the high standards of infrastructure expected in the satellite township.