The state panchayat department has underscored property tax collection by visiting the doorsteps of rural residents to generate more revenue ahead of the 2026 Assembly polls.

The initiative, sources said, drops a clear hint that the cash-strapped Bengal government wanted to generate more revenue to spend on its welfare schemes ahead of the crucial polls.

The state government runs more than 60 welfare schemes across the state and spends more than ₹70,000 crore annually on those.

“Now, ahead of the polls, the state would want to spend more on the welfare schemes. This is why it would like to generate more funds from all possible areas. The collection of property tax is one of the initiatives that would help generate more revenue,” said a senior bureaucrat.

In the existing system, the panchayat department collects property tax in two ways — at gram panchayat offices and through online payments directly by the assessee.

But both systems have their disadvantages.

Most rural people are reluctant to visit gram panchayat offices to pay the tax. The online payment system has not become popular in rural areas for the want of widespread computer literacy and expertise in using smartphones for payments.

“This is the reason why only ₹62.47 crore could be collected as property tax from 1.86 crore assessees in the last financial year. If tax is collected by visiting the doorsteps of the assessee, more revenue can be generated in this new financial year,” said a senior official.

In a bid to make the process smooth, the state panchayat department has asked district magistrates to ensure that the gram panchayats provide a portable thermal Bluetooth receipt printer to tax collectors to generate payment receipts at people’s doorsteps. This gadget would help in handing over the receipt to the payee immediately after the tax is paid.

The order, issued by the joint secretary of the panchayat department, dated March 12, clearly mentions the details of the printer with the model number that would be given to the tax collectors of gram panchayats.

There are 3,338 tax collectors in the 3,330-odd gram panchayats across the state.

The order also mentions that the printers would have to be procured from gram panchayat funds.

“Hence, for smooth collection of Property Tax by Tax Collector, Gram Panchayats may be asked to procure portable Thermal Bluetooth Receipt Printer as per specification as attached herewith for the Tax Collector observing financial norms out of the GP Own Fund,” reads the order.