HYDERABAD: Many house owners, developers and builders after obtaining the Occupancy Certificate (OC) for newly constructed buildings from Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) are avoiding paying property tax to the civic body leading to huge revenue loss to the Corporation.
To overcome the misuse being resorted by various persons, the GHMC is synchronising the OC of the building permission with property tax database in the next 15 to 20 days. The agency to whom the work is allotted will be completing the task of linking the OC with the property tax data in about two weeks’ time. Once OC is obtained, it will automatically send alert to the revenue wing to generate property tax receipt based on the constructed plinth area.
GHMC Commissioner, DS Lokesh Kumar told Express that presently there is no linkage between the town planning wing and revenue (property tax) wing of GHMC and many people are exploiting the opportunity and are avoiding paying property tax, even after obtaining valid OC from the town planning section.
Builders and house owners after getting required building permission from GHMC are completing the structure in the given time frame. After completion, it is mandatory for the owners to obtain OC.
The OC is an important legal document certifying that construction of the building is in compliance with the approved plans. An OC certificate is issued by GHMC only if the constructed building is in an appropriate condition for occupancy. After obtaining OC and premises getting occupied by people, owners have to apply for an assessment of property tax based on the plinth area in the sanctioned plan, but this is not happening due to clandestine understanding between owners and tax section staff.