Hyderabad: GHMC goes back on tax rebate promise

Hyderabad: Several property owners in the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) area are unable to avail the tax rebate offered by the municipal corporation as the civic body failed to keep its promise.

According to BT Srinivasan, General Secretary, United Federation of Residents Welfare Association (UFERWAS), the residential property owners in GHMC limits have been given 50 per cent tax rebate in the month of November against annual property tax of up to Rs 15,000 for the financial year 2020-21.

He said that the GHMC assured that if the owners in residential category already paid the full tax, 50 per cent of relief would be adjusted in the next financial year. However, the same was not adjusted as on date.

Srinivasan said that as a result when the residential property owners wanted to pay their property taxes for the current year, "they were shocked to see that the tax demand for the current year was showing up in full without making any adjustment of the 50 per cent relief as promised."

He said the residential property owners have paid the full amount of property tax in the month of April, for the financial year 2020-21 under early bird scheme. Later, in the November, the GHMC had announced 50 per cent relief in the property tax. Following this, the UFERWAS sought a clarification from the officials of the civic body. In turn, "We were assured that the 50 per cent relief would be adjusted in the next financial year for all those who have paid the full amount of property tax," he added.

But, to the dismay of the residents, now they have been asked to pay the property tax in full for the current financial year without making any adjustment as assured. Against this backdrop, the UFERWAS has wrote a letter to the GHMC commissioner DS Lokesh Kumar to take necessary action on the issue.