HYDERABAD: In the wake of rising mercury levels due to prevailing severe heat wave conditions, tax inspectors, bill collectors and other GHMC staff informed Commissioner M Dana Kishore about their inability to take up survey work of re-assessing tax of all properties through physical verification till June. They told the Commissioner that they would resume the survey work after June 5 as temperatures would subside by then and till then they should be allowed to do normal duties.
The Bhagyanagar Municipal GHMC Employees Union led by its president K Shanker submitted a representation to Dana Kishore here on Monday requesting for extension of survey on non-residential properties work till June 5.
Shanker told Express that reassessment tax of all properties through physical verification and reconciliation of non-residential properties and mixed properties and trade license properties began from May 6. However, four employees suffered sunstroke while on duty and were taken to hospital.
For surveying a property, it would take a minimum of 45 minutes to one hour and it is very difficult to carry out the survey with severe heat wave conditions prevailing in the city, Shanker said. The Commissioner told them that he would look into the issue sympathetically, and directed them to do normal duties as usual.
Of the 16 lakh properties in the GHMC limits, about 2.60 lakh households are paying property tax of `1,200 per annum under residential category. However, it has been found that of the 2.60 lakh residential properties, majority owners changed them into commercial category by constructing shops and offices and have been collecting huge monthly rentals from the tenants.