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Hyderabad Civic Body Locks 100+ Properties for Tax Dues

HYDERABAD: As the financial year nears its conclusion, the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) is intensifying its actions against long-time property tax defaulters. To date, over 100 significant commercial properties have been sealed, with the GHMC aiming to recover hundreds of crores in unpaid taxes. The GHMC reports that over 30,000 commercial entities—spanning luxury hotels, retail chains, and small shops—have neglected to settle their tax dues. The civic body is now concentrating on the most egregious offenders, sealing their premises to facilitate payment. This crackdown follows numerous ignored notices issued over the years. Notable cases include the Katriya Hotel in…

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Redeveloped Flat Exempt from ‘Other Income’ Tax: ITAT

MUMBAI: The Income Tax Appellate Tribunal (ITAT) in Mumbai has favored a taxpayer who received a flat valued at ₹11.7 crore as part of a redevelopment project in exchange for surrendering his tenancy rights. ITAT determined that the surrender of tenancy rights constituted the transfer of a capital asset, qualifying taxpayer V Asher for an exemption under Section 54F of the Income Tax Act. The tribunal also stated that the flat’s value should not be taxed as ‘Income from other sources.’ During the review of Asher’s 2019-20 tax return, the I-T officer questioned the legitimacy of the tenancy arrangement. Consequently,…

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Ludhiana Yet to Recover Dues from 100,000 Property Taxpayers

LUDHIANA: As the deadline approaches for property tax payments this fiscal year, the Ludhiana Municipal Corporation (MC) is still awaiting tax contributions from approximately 100,000 taxpayers. To date, they have collected over ₹147 crore against a target of ₹160 crore, but the pressure remains high as the internal target stands at ₹180 crore. In previous years, tax collection efforts have exceeded expectations, and officials are hopeful of reaching at least the budgeted target this year. Significant targets have already been set for the next fiscal year. MC Superintendent Vivek Verma expressed optimism, stating that taxpayer dues will be collected with…

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Telangana HC Denies Stay on Bhoodan Land Demolitions

HYDERABAD: The Telangana High Court, on Wednesday, denied a request for interim relief or a stay on the large-scale demolition and rehabilitation efforts at Bhoodan lands in Velugumatla village, Khammam district. The court noted that intervening now might negatively impact many eligible beneficiaries in need. Justice B. Vijaysen Reddy issued this ruling while considering petitions from families displaced during the demolition drive conducted on February 24. The court instructed the state government to submit a detailed counter-affidavit and set the next hearing for April 15. During the proceedings, the government pleader for revenue presented written instructions detailing the status of…

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Bengaluru property tax receipts at ₹4,047 crore, 40% below target

BENGALURU: Property tax collection in the city has once again fallen short this financial year, highlighting ongoing compliance issues even as enforcement efforts are ramped up. With only days remaining in the 2025-26 fiscal year, the collections have reached Rs 4,047.7 crore against a target of Rs 6,700 crore, resulting in a shortfall of over Rs 2,652 crore and an overall realization of approximately 60%. The target includes outstanding amounts from previous years. As of March 20, Rs 4,047.7 crore has been collected, comprising Rs 3,286 crore in property taxes for this fiscal year, along with Rs 761.7 crore in…

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Andhra Pradesh Cabinet Approves Amaravati Capital Resolution Draft

VIJAYAWADA: On Thursday, the Andhra Pradesh cabinet approved a draft resolution set to be presented in a special assembly session on Saturday concerning Amaravati, the state capital. This resolution seeks to urge the Union government to amend the Andhra Pradesh State Reorganisation Act (APSR) 2014 to designate Amaravati as the official capital. The proposed resolution aims to modify Section 5(2) of APSRA by substituting the phrase “there shall be a new capital for the state of Andhra Pradesh” with “the new capital for the state of Andhra Pradesh shall be Amaravati.” The amendment will also define Amaravati in the explanatory…

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Delhi Police EOW Files Fraud Case Against Gurugram’s Experion Developers

GURUGRAM: The Economic Offences Wing of the Delhi Police has registered an FIR against Gurugram-based real estate firm Experion Developers Private Limited and its affiliate, Experion Capital Private Limited, for fraud. This action follows a complaint lodged by the Enforcement Directorate, according to an official statement released on Thursday. The ED’s complaint originated from its inquiry into a money laundering case involving Religare Finvest Limited (RFL). As per ED findings, former RFL promoters Malvinder Mohan Singh and Shivinder Mohan Singh allegedly misappropriated around Rs 2,036 crore from RFL through entities that they directly or indirectly control. Investigations revealed that the…

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CAG Flags Dual Benefit Issues in Gujarat Housing Schemes

AHMEDABAD: The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) has identified instances where individuals received benefits from multiple housing schemes, contravening established guidelines. “According to PMAY-G guidelines, if a household is allocated a home under any government scheme, the gram sabha must remove that household from the system-generated priority list of eligible beneficiaries,” the report indicates. The audit revealed cases where some beneficiaries accessed funding from various housing schemes alongside PMAY-G. “In Jamnagar and Surat districts, 24 beneficiaries under PMAY-G were also sanctioned houses under PMAY-Urban,” the report detailed. “Among these 24 beneficiaries, seven received a total of ₹16.55 lakh under PMAY-U,…

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Madras HC Notifies Tamil Nadu on PIL for Hill Area Approvals

CHENNAI: An activist has approached the Madras High Court to contest a government order (GO) from the Tamil Nadu government. This order allows urban planning authorities to approve housing layouts in hilly areas and make land-use changes, sidestepping the essential clearance from the Hill Area Conservation Authority (HACA). The court admitted the plea on Wednesday, with the first bench comprising Chief Justice Sushrut Arvind Dharmadhikari and Justice G Arul Murugan directing the state government to respond within four weeks. According to the petitioner, S. Muralidharan, the HACA was established in 1990 to safeguard ecologically sensitive hill regions from the effects…

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Visakhapatnam’s property tax collects over ₹510 crore

VISAKHAPATNAM: The Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) has set a record in property tax collections, exceeding ₹510 crore for the fiscal year 2025-26, a full eight days before the accounts close. This outstrips last year’s collection of ₹500 crore, with officials optimistic about reaching ₹600 crore by March 31, thanks to a 50% interest waiver on outstanding dues provided by the state government. Of an additional ₹80 crore in demand, ₹50 crore has already been collected this year. Deputy Commissioner (Revenue) S Srinivasa Rao mentioned that the waiver will lessen the burden on taxpayers and enhance collections. “We expect to…