HYDERABAD: To provide relief to property owners in GHMC limits, the Telangana state government is mulling extending a one-time scheme (OTS) offering 90% waiver on accumulated interest on the property tax arrears, provided the taxpayers clear the principal amount of property tax arrears of 2022–23. Additionally, they must pay 10% of the interest on accumulated arrears in one instalment to avail of this offer.
The GHMC has written to the Municipal Administration and Urban Development (MA&UD) department requesting orders for the OTS.
In GHMC limits, approximately 4.95 lakh property owners owe a total of Rs 4,522 crore in arrears, comprising Rs 1,887 crore in principal and Rs 2,634 crore in interest. Additionally, about 1,800 state and central government properties have arrears of Rs 5,280 crore, including Rs 1,620 crore in principal and Rs 3,659 crore in interest, bringing the overall arrears to Rs 9,800 crore.
Under the 2020–21 OTS scheme, Rs 361 crore was collected, with 1.45 lakh property tax defaulters utilising the scheme in GHMC limits. In 2022–23, Rs 170 crore was collected, with 59,800 property tax defaulters availing themselves of the scheme in Hyderabad.