HYDERABAD: The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) has decentralised powers related to property tax and vacant land tax, delegating them to Zonal Commissioners (ZCs) and Deputy Municipal Commissioners (DMCs) to speed up grievance redressal and reduce taxpayer distress.
The decision follows the expansion and reorganisation of GHMC after the merger of 27 peripheral Urban Local Bodies and the restructuring of the civic body into 60 circles and 12 zones. While the expansion brought uniform administration, it also led to a spike in complaints related to property tax assessments, mutations, vacancy remission, arrear corrections and Property Tax Identification Number (PTIN) issues. These cases were being handled at the Commissioner’s level, resulting in delays.
To address the backlog, the GHMC Commissioner has delegated powers under Section 119 of the GHMC Act, 1955, to senior field-level officers. “This delegation will reduce pendency and bring decision-making closer to citizens,” a senior official said.
Under the revised framework, DMCs and ZCs will act as competent authorities based on the size and nature of the property. For new property tax assessments, including self-assessment and suo motu cases, DMCs in the same division will handle properties up to 10,000 sq ft, while ZCs will deal with those above this limit. The same division applies to upward or downward revision of property tax and vacancy remission cases.
Arrear corrections beyond five half-years will be handled by ZCs, while those up to five half-years will be dealt with by DMCs. Blocking or freezing of PTINs and vacant land tax numbers will require verification by DMCs and approval by ZCs.
For activation of PTINs, DMCs will verify cases and forward them to ZCs for approval. DMCs will also approve new assessments or revisions of vacant land tax based on recommendations from AMCs. Mutations and IGRS door number inclusion will be approved by DMCs, while cancellations of mutations will require ZC approval.