BMC faces revenue gap as units on Idco plots fail to pay up

Bhubaneswar: With just 14 days left for the financial year to end, Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) is staring at a revenue gap as institutions and establishments built on Odisha Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation (Idco) land have failed to pay holding tax despite repeated reminders.In a sharp indictment of their conduct, BMC deputy commissioner Suryamani Pattajoshi said these entities together owe nearly Rs 70 crore and have so far offered only assurances, not payment.“Non-payment has become a major concern. Holding tax is a key source of revenue for urban services and infrastructure. Schools, colleges, industrial clusters and other establishments on Idco land were asked to clear their dues, and many promised to comply.

But nothing has been deposited,” Pattajoshi told TOI.The govt empowered BMC to collect holding tax last year from Idco land from the 2025-26 financial year. Of the total dues, educational institutions alone account for around Rs 32 crore. The remaining dues are linked to other establishments, including commercial and institutional units.BMC officials said they have collected Rs 73 crore in holding tax and expect another Rs 50 crore by the end of the financial year, taking the total to around Rs 120 crore.