- How is this fair?
- Innocent punished for builder’s offence
- Citizens fire over GHMC’s decision
- Habituated to bribes, official let builder go scot-free
- Excess property tax levied on residents
- Residents demand to catch the respective builder
- Collect property tax by removing the penalty
Usually the wrongdoer is arrested by the police. The courts, too, impose punishment only those who commit an offence. But the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) is doing it differently. Leaving the builder who built the apartment, but failed to obtain the Occupancy Certificate (OC), the GHMC officials are levying a large sum of property tax as a fine on the residents of the apartment. While it is completely justified to impose fines on illegal constructions and unapproved structures, but the victims are lamenting that it would be a heinous act to levy an additional 25 per cent fine in addition to the property tax from the multi-storey buildings which were constructed as per old government orders prior to 2006 and before GO 86 came to force.
Prior to 2006, all suburbs were under the jurisdiction of HUDA which were later merged into the MCH, marking the formation of the new GHMC. The rest were brought under the purview of HMDA. So far so good. Observing that some apartments falling under the old HUDA limits do not have an occupancy certificate, a fine of 25 per cent of the property tax was being levied as penalty for last a few years now. The then Municipal officials turned a blind eye to offences committed by the builders during construction of the respective apartments. However, a fine of 25 per cent of the property tax has been levied on those living in the respective projects in the recent times, stating that the builder did not obtain the mandatory OC. God knows why the municipal officials remained silent all these years and woke up from deep slumber just now.
Residents are still requesting the officials to catch the builder who built their apartment and ask him to obtain an occupancy certificate. They lamented that it was not right on part of the GHMC to impose such hefty penalties for no crime of theirs at a time when they were facing difficulties due to loss of jobs and businesses due to Corona. At least for now, GHMC officials should take the matter seriously and issue notices to the respective builders to submit an occupancy certificate.
