BMC to use unique 15-digit identification number for all buildings in Mumbai

In a bid to reduce confusion between buildings of the same or similar names, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has started identifying each building in the city with a unique number.

Just like every Indian citizen has a unique Aadhaar card number, every building under the civic body’s jurisdiction will carry a unique 15-digit identification number. The number will be derived from the 15-digit Section Account Code (SAC) from the Property Tax receipt of a particular building. The code is unique to each building and cannot be repeated.

The BMC has already started making use of the 15-digit number for all official purposes since this week. BG Pawar, Deputy Municipal Commissioner, BMC confirmed the development.

A senior official from the BMC said, “We have already started using the 15-digit codes from Monday and will continue to use it for all official purposes going forward. The number, in principle, works like the pin code used by postal department. The biggest problem it solves is duplication of names.”

According to the official, there are over a dozen buildings in the city that have names like ‘Shanti Niwas’ and some of them are even located in the same area. So when officials have to search for them, it becomes a tedious task. But with the help of the SAC code, the search will be extremely straightforward.

Apart from BMC officials, citizens can also make use of the number if they wish to find details about their property.