HYDERABAD: Despite the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) achieving a milestone by collecting Rs 2,038 crore property tax from as many as 14.08 lakh tax owners for the 2024–25 year, the Charminar zone — comprising six circles, mostly covering the Old City — performed poorly, falling significantly short of its target with collections below 50%.
The Charminar zone, which includes Chandrayangutta, Charminar, Falaknuma, Santoshnagar, Malakpet and Rajendranagar circles, contributed only Rs 150.40 crore to the overall collection. Rhree circles — Serilingampally (Rs 288 crore), Khairatabad (Rs 173.60 crore) and Jubilee Hills (Rs 190.65 crore) — each surpassed the total collections from the Charminar zone. Excluding Charminar, the remaining five GHMC zones witnessed a significant increase in property tax collections for 2024–25, nearly collecting twice the amount of Charminar.
A major factor contributing to success in tax collection has been the implementation of the One-Time Settlement (OTS) scheme, enabling a 90% interest waiver on property tax arrears. This initiative alone has resulted in the collection of nearly Rs 465 crore this year in less than one month, showcasing its effectiveness in incentivising compliance among taxpayers.
