GHMC to cross record Rs 1,000 crore in property tax

Hyderabad: The property tax collection engines of the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation are steaming ahead at a pace never seen before, with the last four months seeing the civic body collecting nearly Rs.1,000 crore. By Wednesday evening, the tax collected stood at Rs.997.50 crore, with the revenue being generated from 9,64,105 assessments done from April […]

Hyderabad: The property tax collection engines of the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation are steaming ahead at a pace never seen before, with the last four months seeing the civic body collecting nearly Rs.1,000 crore.

By Wednesday evening, the tax collected stood at Rs.997.50 crore, with the revenue being generated from 9,64,105 assessments done from April 1 to August 3.

Officials said that by Wednesday night, the collection would cross the Rs.1,000 crore mark, which would be a record for the GHMC when collections across four months are considered.

Most of the property owners paid tax online this year. According to officials, out of the 9,64,105 assessments, a whopping 6,11,839 property owners had paid tax online while 1,02,639 paid through Mee Seva. Bill collectors took the tax from 1,45,179 while 1,04,448 persons paid by visiting the GHMC Citizen Service Centres.

The highest tax collection was from the Serilingampally circle (Rs.132.77 crore), followed by Jubilee Hills (Rs.105.12 crore) and Khairatabad (Rs.81.14 crore). A major portion of the property tax was collected in April i.e., Rs.741.35 crore when the Property Tax Early Bird Scheme was introduced offering a 5 per cent rebate on property tax.

Meanwhile, under the One-Time Scheme (OTS) introduced in mid-July and presently underway, Rs.16.09 crore was collected through 10,357 assessments and this revenue is part of the Rs.997.50 crore revenue generated since April.

Under the OTS, the State government is giving relief to those struggling with property tax arrears, by waving off 90 per cent of the interest on accumulated arrears of property tax. But the taxpayer will have to clear the principal amount of the tax dues till 2021-22, along with 10 per cent accumulated interest at one go.

The scheme will close on October 31 and bill collectors of the GHMC are approaching property owners who need to pay arrears.

“We are also sending them text messages and contacting them over phone,” a GHMC official said.