Hyderabad: GHMC puts property owners in tax pickle

Hyderabad: Even as State government asked landlords not to pester tenants for rent, property owners wonder why GHMC isn't giving any relaxation to them in times of lockdown.

Citizens are receiving SMS from the civic body to pay up the tax. Frequent appeals by GHMC are irritating, aver residents.

"Though the government has announced 5 per cent discount in total property tax amount if owners pay up earlier, I was told to pay the entire amount without any concession.

Owners are also told not to collect rents from their tenants, but are being asked to pay electricity and water bills as well as taxes without any consideration, bemoaned Kamelakar Jitender, a resident of Attapur.

"Government recently issued orders asking private schools to avoid increasing fees this year citing lockdown travails for public.

But it is not showing us any generosity when it comes to collection of property tax. Is this justified?" asked the owner of a private school.

"Our business has been hit hard during the lockdown and we are not in a position to run our family. At a time when people are expecting a bailout from the government, it is painful to see the GHMC is sending a flurry of massages reminding citizens of payment of property tax, unmindful of the losses they are coping with due to lockdown," rued Mir Mushtaq, the owner of a mobile shop at Mehdipatnam.

Hit by the lockdown, citizens irrespective of class are practising austerity to tide over the situation. This is not a good time to put a pressure on them to pay up property tax, observed Anil Kakkar a resident of Shastripuram.

"Salary cut by the government has completely demoralised as we are solely depending on our monthly income. In such a situation we are not in a position to bear the burden of property tax.

If the GHMC forces us, it will put enormous burden on us," said a government employee.