Holding tax defaulters can avail of a five per cent discount on their dues at weeklong collection camps to be organised by the civic body in 72 wards of the capital in May-end.

“Patna Municipal Corporation (PMC) is not supposed to embark upon a door-to-door tax collection drive. Residents are supposed to make the payments voluntarily. These camps would be set up to help people pay tax with ease,” said a senior civic official.

Sources said tax collectors and executive officers in different circles of the civic body would be present at the camps. The corporation is mulling making public announcements in all areas prior to organising the camps so that most residents turn up.

“We would provide a five per cent discount to those paying taxes at these camps. However, penalties would be imposed on defaulters after the camps end,” added the civic official.

According to PMC records, around 1,91,000 holdings in the city are registered but recent estimates put the number of buildings at around 4.5 lakh.

The holding tax collection target in the last financial year (2012-13) was Rs 32.12 crore and amount collected was Rs 27.43 crore. Apart from private defaulters, the total amount of holding tax because of various government bodies is Rs 153.64 crore.

The collection target in the financial year 2011-12 was Rs 31.18 crore but Rs 27.31 crore was collected. The civic body mopped up Rs 17 crore in the 2010-11 fiscal.

Sources in the civic body claimed the collection target would be doubled in the ongoing financial year owing to a recent hike in holding tax. Besides, a budget for fresh survey to bring more buildings under the ambit of holding tax has been proposed during the ongoing fiscal.

“The PMC board recently gave an approval to double the annual rental value, which is the base for calculating the holding tax. This would result in a two-fold hike in the amount collected through holding tax from the property owners registered with the corporation,” said the civic official.

The board had given its nod for a hike in the holding tax to double the present rate in a meeting held on October 29, 2012. The new rates have been implemented with effect from April 1 this year.