GHMC Standing Committee takes historic decision

Hyderabad, Nov 6 (INN): With less than a month left for the completion of its five-year term, the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation’s Standing Committee has decided to waive off the Property Tax of over 10,000 property owners.

The decision was taken in the Standing Committee’s meeting held at the GHMC Headquarters here on Thursday. The GHMC’s term will come to an end on December 3. Therefore, as a last gift the committee has decided to waive off the Property Tax or nearly 10 per cent properties who tax is up to Rs 4,000. Of 132,259 Property Tax payers, nearly 10,418 owners of residential properties, who pay tax up to Rs 4,000 will gain from this decision.

Speaking to media persons, GHMC Mayor Mohammed Majid Hussain that the GHMC would lose about Rs 100 crore due to this decision. However, this amount would be recovered through Professional Tax, Advertisement Tax and other means. He informed that the Standing Committee that comprises of MIM and Congress members has passed a unanimous resolution to this effect. He said that the GHMC Property Tax has almost tripled in the last three years and last year, the corporation collected Rs 1,000 crore. This year an increase of Rs 300 crore was expected. Therefore, it was decided to benefit the middle-class property owners by waiving off their Property Tax. However, all of them would have pay a nominal tax of Rs 10-15 for the continuance of their names in the list of Property Tax payers.

The Mayor said that the GHMC has become the first corporation in the country to waive off the Property Tax. Accompanied with Deputy Mayor G Rajkumar and Congress floor leader Wajid Hussain, he said that the present GHMC has proven wrong an old saying wherein people used to call “Baldiya – Khaya, Piya, Chaldiya” (Municipal Corporation – Eat, Drink and Vanish). However, the present GHMC has provided subsidised meal for Rs 5/- for poor persons, provided safe drinking water, took up housing projects and took care of civic amenities.

Majid Hussain said that 70 Agenda items were taken up for discussion in Thursday’s meeting. The Standing Committee has given nod for construction of night shelters for attendants at seven city hospitals at a cost of Rs 2 crore each. They are Maternity Hospital Petla Burj, OGH, NIMS, Gandhi, Niloufer and Koti Maternity Hospital. Rs 2.20 crore have been sanctioned for construction of ramp and roads at Moula Ali and Rs 57.63 crore have been approved for modernisation of Jiyaguda slaughter house. Following the request of Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi, amenities have been sanctioned for Ramanasthpur slaughter house and a housing scheme has been approved for Syed Ali Bada in Yakutpura.

The Standing Committee has with held the project to replace existing street lights with LEDs.

These decisions would be presented before the GHMC General Body which would meet for the last time on November 15.