THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Government is thinking of basing the next house tax revision by local bodies on the plinth area instead of on the annual rental value of buildings which is being followed now.

Local Self-Government Minister Paloli Mohammed Kutty told a meeting of officials held here on Wednesday that the direction received from the Centre too was along those lines.

The calculation of house tax on the basis of the annual rental value of buildings was unscientific and paved the way for corruption. It was easy under the existing provisions to fix a tax which was lower than the actual one on the basis of the whims of the official concerned or by succumbing to pressure. It was to avoid such things that the new system was being considered.

When the house tax was revised under the new method, a unified tax system would come into force for similar type of buildings. The hike might be on the high side for those who were paying low tax by resorting to all sorts of pressures. But it would be only nominal for those whose house tax had been revised strictly on the basis of existing norms.

The Minister expressed the hope that corruption and nepotism in the area would come to an end with the adoption of the new system. It would also bring to an end the practice of getting the tax reduced by influencing the officials. He urged all sections to cooperate with the proposed reform.

He refuted reports to the effect that the Government had decided to make a huge hike in house tax on percentage basis. He described the reports as baseless.

The Principal Secretary told the meeting that the local bodies had not revised house tax for the last 13 years. The law provided for its revision once in four years. If the revision had been made as per law, the revenue from it would have been 75 per cent more than what it was now, he added.

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