Patna: The Patna Municipal Corporation (PMC) recorded the highest-ever property tax collection of Rs 125 crore since its establishment in 1952, successfully collecting tax from 2.45 lakh holdings out of the 3.06 lakh registered in the municipal area. This achievement contributed to a total revenue of approximately Rs 250 crore for the 2025-26 financial year through sources including real estate, parking, mutation, water supply, stamp duty and advertisements.Mayor Sita Sahu attributed this success to a planned strategy that utilised a special team of 924 personnel constituted for all 375 sectors of the municipal area. These teams conducted a special survey campaign using electricity bills to identify buildings and lands that lacked a holding ID, effectively bringing a large number of new properties into the tax net. Sahu also added that the Bihar govt’s one-time settlement (OTS) scheme, which offered waivers on interest and penalties, inspired citizens to make one-time payments and significantly boosted the final figures.PMC commissioner Yashpal Meena said the corporation identified 9,435 large defaulters with arrears exceeding Rs 5,000 and deployed enforcement teams to ensure compliance through legal notices. To facilitate easier payments, tax collection counters remained open from 7am to 9pm even on holidays, while the headquarters utilised a digital dashboard for real-time monitoring of door-to-door collectors to ensure transparency.The civic body also sent out nearly 10 crore SMS messages over the year, averaging five lakh bulk messages daily. This targeted campaign specifically reached property owners living in other cities, encouraging them to use online payment portals. For senior citizens, the corporation provided personalised door-to-door services where collectors visited homes to facilitate payments and provide instant receipts. Awareness was further maintained through jingles played on e-rickshaws and garbage collection vehicles across the city.As the corporation enters the new financial year, officials appealed to residents to pay their taxes in the first quarter to avail of a 5% rebate on the principal amount and maintain the current momentum.
