The government has announced a one-time scheme (OTS) for clearing pending property tax arrears within Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation limits and all other urban local bodies across Telangana. Under the scheme, a tax payer will get a waiver of 90% on interest payment, provided that the principal amount plus 10% of interest on accumulated arrears is paid in one ago.
For citizens who have paid their entire property tax with interest arrears and penalties up to March 2022 in the current year prior to the existing scheme, 90% of such penalty/interest will be adjusted against future payments, stated official orders issued by Secretary for Municipal Administration and Urban Development C. Sudarshan Reddy.
The decision was taken after Director of Municipal Administration N. Satyanarayana and GHMC Commissioner Lokesh Kumar informed the government that property tax arrears in urban local bodies across Telangana have reached ₹1,999.24 crore and the interest amount is to the tune of ₹1,626.83 crore at the end of the financial year 2021-22.
Hence, they have proposed the OTS for the benefit of tax payers. The scheme has to be taken up on a mission mode and giving adequate publicity before October 31, 2022. The Secretary has asked the municipal officials concerned to set up a mechanism for daily monitoring and ensure the OTS is carried out in a transparent manner.
In a separate circular, Mr. Satyanarayana has directed the municipal commissioners in all urban areas to hold revenue melas on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays as part of the OTS. Tax payers should be informed about their pending arrears by phone, messages, advertisements in the print and scrolls in the electronic media, he added.
