6 days Ago By Sentinel Digital Desk
STAFF REPORTER The Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC) is conducting a property survey across the city to create a comprehensive database of households and their members as part of its Smart House Numbering System (SHNS) initiative. While the survey is free of charge, reports of miscreants attempting to extort money from residents have surfaced, prompting swift action by the authorities. A GMC official told The Sentinel, "Some people were trying to dupe citizens in the Paltan Bazar area in the name of conducting the property survey in their households.
" The agency conducting the survey, GioVista Technologies, filed a complaint with Paltan Bazar police, leading to an ongoing investigation. Police sources confirmed that some individuals have been detained in connection with the incident. According to reports, the miscreants claimed that the survey was mandatory and threatened residents with the demolition of their homes if they failed to pay a fee.
"They were extorting money, telling the residents that if they didn't pay, their households would not be registered," the official added. The GMC's property survey, which will cost around Rs 2.7 crore, is a significant step toward improving civic services in Guwahati.
The GIS-based SHNS aims to provide every household with a unique number, enabling GMC to create a digital database of properties, track tax payment statuses, and ensure seamless delivery of civic services. Until now, the GMC relied on holding numbers linked to electricity bills to collect property taxes. However, the absence of a proper database made it challenging to track defaulters.
The ongoing survey will address this gap, ensuring better accountability and improved infrastructure planning. "The GMC house numbers provided earlier will remain the same but will now be GIS-based. In some areas, new numbers will be provided if required," a GMC official explained.
The unique numbering system will also allow households to remain connected with GMC services online 24/7. Residents are urged to cooperate with the survey teams and report any suspicious activity. Authorities have assured that strict action will be taken against those attempting to exploit citizens during the survey process.
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