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Bengaluru conducts door-to-door survey for tax dodgers

BENGALURU: The Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) has initiated a door-to-door survey aimed at identifying property owners who are evading taxes by submitting false or inaccurate information. Notices have already been distributed to those found in violation. The city has approximately 2.2 million properties subject to property tax, where owners typically pay under a self-assessment scheme. However, many have misreported property details, leading to significant tax evasion, prompting the GBA to conduct a comprehensive field survey to verify all properties. Survey Drive A GBA representative stated, "This survey encompasses the five municipal corporations within Greater Bengaluru, spanning 369 wards. Each ward…

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Delhi Police EOW Investigates Suraksha Realty for Fund Diversion

NEW DELHI: The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of the Delhi Police has initiated a case against the Mumbai-based Suraksha Group for allegedly misappropriating over ₹230 crore from Jaypee Infratech Ltd (JIL). This amount was intended for the construction of stalled residential flats for homebuyers. Sources informed PTI that the Enforcement Directorate (ED) may file a new FIR against Suraksha Group and related parties in response to the EOW’s FIR. On June 4, 2024, Suraksha Group took over JIL following the NCLAT’s decision to approve its acquisition bid. The Corporate Insolvency Resolution Process (CIRP) for JIL began in August 2017, initiated…

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HC Appoints Officers to Assess Illegal Structures in Goa

PANAJI: The High Court has appointed two nodal officers—the Deputy Director of Municipal Administration and the Extension Officer of the Directorate of Panchayats—to review reports from municipalities and panchayats concerning illegal structures throughout Goa. The appointed officers are tasked with analyzing these reports to ensure compliance with the court’s orders regarding illegal constructions. “The volume of compliance reports from panchayats and municipalities was substantial, prompting the court to seek recommendations for government officers capable of analyzing them. We proposed the Deputy Director of Municipal Administration to assess reports from the CCP and municipalities, and the Extension Officer from the Directorate…

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Goa Court Cancels Unity Mall’s Chimbel Construction License

PANAJI: In a significant win for the residents of Chimbel, who have been protesting for two weeks against government projects, the district sessions court ruled on Wednesday to annul the construction license granted to the Goa Tourism Development Corporation (GTDC). The principal district judge overturned the decisions made by both the block development officer and the deputy director of panchayats, as well as the construction license issued by the Chimbel panchayat secretary. “As of now, no activities can continue at the Unity Mall site,” stated advocate Malisa Simoes, representing Govind Shirodkar, the chairperson of the local biodiversity management committee. The…

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Lucknow Civic Body Acts to Collect House Tax Dues

LUCKNOW: The Lucknow Municipal Corporation (LMC) launched a comprehensive initiative on Wednesday to recover outstanding house tax, resulting in the sealing and attachment of numerous residential and commercial properties across multiple zones. Municipal commissioner Gaurav Kumar directed this tax recovery effort with the aim of enhancing revenue. Officials confirmed that enforcement actions against tax defaulters will persist. LMC teams sealed several properties in zone-1 due to unpaid dues. A building on Naval Kishore Road was sealed for an outstanding house tax of ₹17.94 lakh. Following this action, the owner promptly paid ₹4 lakh to the corporation. Additionally, two properties on…

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Telangana HC Dismisses Union Bank’s Property Auction Appeal

HYDERABAD: The Telangana High Court has dismissed an appeal from Union Bank of India regarding the cancellation of an auction for a property owned by a city-based company undergoing liquidation. The court found that the bank had not adhered to proper legal procedures. A division bench, featuring Justices K. Lakshman and V. Ramakrishna Reddy, stated that while banks can recover funds through auctions, they must do so transparently and involve the official liquidator to ensure the property achieves the best possible sale price. The ruling came during the bank’s appeal against a March 2025 decision, in which a single judge…

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HC Upholds Land Acquisition for Banashankari VI Stage

BENGALURU: The High Court has upheld the Bangalore Development Authority’s (BDA) acquisition of land for extending Banashankari VI Stage, connecting the existing layout via Kanakapura Road. A division bench, comprising Justice DK Singh and Justice Tara Vitasta Ganju, rejected the appeals filed by K Gangamma and others against a single bench ruling that dismissed their petitions challenging the acquisition of 75 guntas in Gubbalala village. The land was initially notified on November 17, 2002, with the final notification released on September 9, 2003. The appellants argued they were unfairly treated compared to owners of 657 acres and 15 guntas who…

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Court Rules No GST on MIDC Plot Transfers to Third Parties

NAGPUR: The Nagpur bench of the Bombay High Court has ruled that transferring plots allotted by the Maharashtra Industries Development Corporation (MIDC) to third parties does not incur goods and services tax (GST). This decision aligns with a previous ruling from the Gujarat High Court concerning the transfer of land from the Gujarat Industries Development Corporation (GIDC) to a third party. The Gujarat court referenced a June 2017 notification that set a zero rate for a one-time charge on long-term leases (exceeding 30 years) by state government industrial development corporations to businesses. The court noted that if the original allottee…

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ED Files Final Report on Ex-MD of Jaypee Infratech’s Fraud

NEW DELHI: On Monday, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) submitted its prosecution complaint, akin to a chargesheet, against former Jaypee Infratech MD, Manoj Gaur. Gaur was arrested on November 13 of the previous year due to a case involving a ₹14,599 crore fraud with homebuyers. He is currently in judicial custody. The complaint was filed with Principal District and Sessions Judge Anju Bajaj Chandna. Meanwhile, a sessions court has scheduled Gaur’s bail plea for a hearing on January 17. The ED has alleged that funds raised from thousands of homebuyers for the completion of residential projects were misused for non-construction purposes,…

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Gurugram’s tax drive raises ₹30 crore in just 45 days

GURUGRAM: As the end of the financial year approaches, the MCG has ramped up its efforts to recover property taxes, collecting Rs 30 crore in the last six weeks, which represents about 10% of the total property tax revenue goal for the current fiscal year. In this initiative, the civic authority sealed off 55 properties due to non-payment and issued 410 notices to defaulters, as reported by taxation officials. The MCG aimed to collect Rs 275 crore in property tax for the financial year and has already surpassed this target, amassing Rs 295 crore. Officials indicated that the focus is…