(Siasat News)There are many house owners in the city who never bothered to pay the property tax on time to Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation although they were informed many a time but there a few owners of the properties who paid property tax on time but GHMC has issued notices to them. They are warned that if they don’t pay the tax, they have to pay heavy fines. Such owners get perturbed. May complaints are being received that the owners of such properties were asked to pay the taxes with fine even though they had already paid them. This is happening because the staff doesn’t record tax entries properly in their registers. The negligence of Municipal Staff or e-seva personnel can’t be overlooked. The amounts collected by e-seva centers are not being deposited in Govt. Treasury on time.
A lady told that she had already paid the entire amount of property tax on 4th June 2011 itself but she received a notice on 2nd January 2012 to pay the arrears of tax. She received another notice on 27th January 2012 but when she produced the receipt of the tax already paid, the staff realized their mistake and accepted her plea.
Many citizens complained that the Municipal workers make huge assessments of property taxes earlier and reduce them later after demanding bribe. Another property owner told that the floor area of his building is 3, 000 sq.ft. For which the Municipal Staff fixed Rs.16, 000 as property tax whereas his neighbor’s floor area is 5, 000 sq.ft and he is paying only Rs.3, 000 as tax. The Municipal officials told that his is a posh area and hence the rates of property taxes are higher. They also told that the property tax of his neighbor would be revised next year.
Later, they told that if a bribe of Rs.10, 000 is offered, tax would be reduced to the extent of 50%
The residents of the colonies enquired the Municipal authorities that why don’t they inscribe the rates of property taxes in a particular colony on boards and fix them up at a public place.
Mr. Ashok Reddy, Additional Commissioner of GHMC (Finance & Revenue) told that in order to make database management service up to date, I.T. section is being modernized with an expenditure of Rs.14 crore. G.I.S. Mapping is being done in circles 3,8, 9 and 14 for 5 lakh properties for the proper assessment of property taxes. If this work is completed, neither the owner of the property nor the Municipal Staff can conceal the floor area of the houses. Online facility is also being provided to the owners of the property through which the owners of the properties can maintain the accounts of property taxes of their buildings.
—-Siasat News