GHMC’s Action Yields Result, Shop Owner Settles Property Tax Dues
Chandanagar deputy commissioner P. Mohan Reddy stated that the action was taken due to the long-pending tax dues as well as ignoring the multiple reminders.
Hyderabad: A shop owner who was dragging his feet since long to pay property tax dues, on Monday, took the advantage of one time settlement (OTS) scheme and paid Rs 17,20,652 to the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC). The GHMC adopted a tactic to force him to pay the property tax dues. The municipal officials dug up road in front of his establishment on Friday as part of an "enforcement action". The shop is located in Chandanagar.
According to officials, the 40-year-old property had accumulated dues of Rs 30,36,926 over the years. After opting for the OTS scheme, the shop owner Anand Rao and others benefited from a waiver of Rs 13,16,274. The defaulter paid the remaining amount of Rs 17,20,652.
On Friday, the GHMC officials arrived at the commercial establishment on Chandanagar Main Road and dug up a trench in front of the shop to halt business activities.
Chandanagar deputy commissioner P. Mohan Reddy stated that the action was taken due to the long-pending tax dues as well as ignoring the multiple reminders. However, the trench was filled on Sunday after the payment of dues. “Our action forced the owner to settle the pending tax dues immediately,” said P. Mohan Reddy, deputy commissioner, Chandanagar.
He further said, “The dispute dates back to a tax reassessment during the erstwhile BRS regime, which the owner had challenged in the High Court. The court had directed both the parties to settle the issue amicably. But the matter was not resolved and payments were not made. The dues went up to over Rs 30 lakh.”
