Kolkata, Oct. 6 -- With civic polls expected in December, the Suvendu Adhikari government has rolled out property tax waiver schemes for six municipal corporations - Howrah, Bidhannagar, Chandernagore, Durgapur, Asansol and Siliguri - allowing taxpayers to clear unpaid property tax bills issued on or before March 31, 2026.

After the Cabinet's approval, the Urban Development & Municipal Affairs (UD&MA) department introduced the Incentive Scheme 2026 for these six municipal corporations.

Officials believe the relief is expected to boost revenue generation in the civic bodies by recovering arrears.

It will help property tax defaulters clear pending dues with up to 100 per cent waiver on accumulated interest and penalties on long-pending arrears. It also offers a 10 per cent rebate on the principal pending property tax for residential buildings.

The scheme applies to various types of properties - residential, commercial (non-residential), or mixed-use (both residential and commercial).

The waiver scheme will remain valid till March 31, 2027. As per the Press note issued by Howrah Municipal Corporation (HMC), eligible taxpayers can access the scheme through the UDMA OPTICS portal - property tax online (citizen entry) OPTICS web portal: holdingtax.co.in. Taxpayers unable to make online payments may avail the scheme at property tax collection centres at the HMC central office and other designated offices.

Incidentally, HMC had submitted a proposal for introducing such a scheme so that taxpayers liable to pay outstanding arrear property tax could get relief in interest and penalty.

A separate notification was issued for Howrah as the 'Howrah Municipal Corporation Incentive (Waiver of Interest & Penalty to the Property Tax Payers) Scheme 2026'.

"Under the scheme, taxpayers with outstanding dues up to the 4th quarter of the financial year 2025-26 will be eligible for waiver benefits, subject to the terms and conditions of the scheme," read a press note.

Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.