HYDERABAD: To step up recovery of long-pending property tax arrears, the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) has started serving ‘red notices’ on high-value defaulters, officials said, describing the move as a final step before initiating stringent enforcement measures.
As the 2025–26 financial year nears its close, with less than two months remaining, the civic body has turned its focus to large defaulters to strengthen revenue inflows.
Major defaulters have been identified across zones and circles, with notices already issued in select areas and the drive set to be expanded citywide. Property tax continues to be GHMC’s main revenue stream, contributing a significant share of its total tax income.
The action targets property owners who have not cleared dues for several years. The deputy municipal commissioners in each GHMC circle have drawn up lists of habitual defaulters and will issue notices shortly.
Officials said thousands have ignored repeated reminders, while several lakh residential property owners together owe arrears amounting to hundreds of crore. “In addition to notices, SMS reminders are being sent to taxpayers,” officials said.
The civic body is also preparing to invoke ‘distress warrants’ under Section 269 of the GHMC Act, especially against commercial property owners who failed to pay dues despite a 90% waiver on interest.