Property tax for villas in Tellapur slashed by one-third

​Hyderabad: The Right To Information Act helped reduce property tax of Bloomsfield Ecstacy gated community villa residents in Tellapur of Ramachandrapuram mandal in Medak district up by one-third bringing a great relief to them.

According to reports, owners of villas in 240-square yard paid a property tax of Rs 21,240 per annum for 2013-14 and those owned villas built on 350 square yard site paid Rs 30,828 responding to demand notice sent by village panchayat authorities.

One of the residents of the gated community, Sreekanth Godey, an NRI, on March 29, 2014 paid Rs 30,828 and obtained a receipt.

Noticing that the property tax paid by him and other members of the gated community was higher compared to the tax paid by people living in the limits of GHMC, Sreekanth and other members submitted memoranda to Medak district panchayat officer,

Divisional Panchayat Officer and Gram Panchayat Officers on March 25 and August 1 last year seeking reduction in the tax. Even after making several rounds to these offices, there was no response.

As a last resort, the houseowners approached Ganji Srinivasa Rao, the RTI correspondent of The Hans India, who sought from authorities the note files, correspondence, the assessment of property tax by them and the action taken by officials on the representations made by the owners.

Responding to the request received under the RTI, the officials took the matter immediately to the notice of the District Collector and issued orders to reduce the property tax on the villas by one-third.

The decision benefited 131 house owners in the gated community to the tune of Rs 23.60 lakh.