Prayagraj — A GPS-based property survey commissioned by the municipal corporation has produced alleged misclassifications that led to inflated tax assessments on numerous properties across the city, prompting corrective action by civic tax officials and fresh inquiries into outsourced survey work.
Residents find vacant plots recorded as multi-storey buildings
Property owners in Jhunsi, Gohri and Naini have flagged serious discrepancies after receiving annual tax bills far higher than expected. In one documented case, a vacant plot owned by Abhay Kishan in Jhunsi was recorded as a three-storey building and assessed an annual tax of ₹53,126, according to municipal officials. The assessment remained unchanged despite the owner’s objections until the Chief Tax Assessment Officer intervened.
Chief Tax Assessment Officer Sanjay Mamgai said the entry was corrected and a notice was issued to the surveyor, Abhishek Tiwari, seeking an explanation. Officials indicated that similar errors may be widespread: they estimate that around 2,000 to 3,000 property assessments carried out by outsourced survey personnel could contain discrepancies.
“Whenever such cases are flagged through complaints from property owners, corrective action is being taken and the assessments are being revised accordingly,” said Sanjay Mamgai.
Examples and scale of the problem
Officials and owners cited multiple examples where single-storey houses and vacant plots were recorded as multi-storey or commercial properties, producing significantly higher tax demands.
- In Gohri, a single-storey house belonging to Ram Prakash Patel was reportedly classified as a two-storey commercial property.
- Vacant plots in Jhunsi belonging to Ram Prakash and Radhe Shyam Tiwari were recorded as two-storey buildings.
- Plots in Naini owned by Mahesh Pratap Singh and Sunil Kumar were also reportedly logged as two-storey structures.
In several of these cases the annual tax computed after misclassification was reported to be around ₹40,000. At the same time, officials said they have identified roughly 150 cases of underassessment where taxes must be revised upward to reflect actual property details.
| Location | Owner | Recorded type | Reported annual assessment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jhunsi | Abhay Kishan | Three-storey building (vacant plot) | ₹53,126 |
| Gohri | Ram Prakash Patel | Two-storey commercial (single-storey house) | ~₹40,000 |
| Jhunsi / Naini | Several owners | Two-storey buildings (vacant plots recorded as built) | ~₹40,000 |
What officials say about the survey and next steps
Mamgai traced many of the problematic entries to a 2024 exercise carried out by a private agency that used GPS-based surveying. He added that some municipal employees may also have contributed to inflated assessments in what he described as attempts to impress senior officials.
The tax department has opened inquiries where complaints are received and is revising assessments on a case-by-case basis. Notices have been issued to the surveyor named in at least one instance, and officials say mechanisms are being used to detect both overassessments and underassessments.
Residents and civic activists said the episode has shaken public confidence in the rolls and called for a transparent re-survey or on-ground verification drive so that tax liabilities reflect actual property status and shape municipal revenue planning.
For taxpayers, the situation has practical consequences: inflated bills create immediate financial pressure, while underassessments, once corrected, will increase demands on owners who until now have paid lower dues. The municipal tax office faces the twin challenge of correcting errors already generated, ensuring fairness for citizens and safeguarding the city’s revenue base.
As the corporation proceeds with corrections and inquiries, officials urged property owners to scrutinise their assessments and submit formal complaints where entries appear inaccurate. The tax office said it will continue to revise entries on receipt of verifiable objections.
