Hyderabad: Vexed with corrupt bill collectors, the GHMC has decided to embark on a drone survey and use the Geographic Information System for accurate assessment of properties in the city. The corporation which expected to garner Rs 200 crore through re-verification of about 2 lakh properties whose property tax is above Rs 1,200, got a shock when field staff, after conducting a survey for two months, submitted a final report in which the property tax demand was increased by a mere Rs 18 crore.
According to the official report, the corporation has identified 1,94,584 properties whose property tax ranges between Rs 1,200 and Rs l lakh. Of them, it has verified 1,24,811 properties and found that 3,962 were un-assessed and 13,353 under-assessed.
It has issued special notices to 10,542 property owners and enhanced the current property tax demand by Rs 18.07 crore.
Official sources in the corporation said that GHMC commissioner M. Dana Kishore along with revenue wing additional commissioner Adwait Kumar Singh set a target of Rs 200 crore as there were more than 50,000 properties which might be either under assessed or un-assessed. But bill collectors identified a mere 3,962 un-assessed properties and 13,353 under assessed properties.
A senior GHMC official said that bill collectors had cheated GHMC. He said that the corporation will re-verify all structures by August with the same bill collectors and enhance the property tax demand by Rs 100 crore.
He said the corporation has decided to take the help of technology. The civic body will conduct a drone survey during September and do geo-mapping for all properties. He said that the corporation will increase the property tax by Rs 500 crore for structures whose property tax is between 1,200 to Rs 1 lakh.
The official said the corporation has the potential to collect Rs 6,500 crore property tax annually if all properties in the city are verified. He said that during the current financial year the corporation is committed to enhance property tax by at least Rs 500 crore.
