Fri Feb 21 05:40:00 UTC 2025: Here’s a news article summarizing the provided text:
**Hyderabad: GHMC Seizes Taj Banjara Hotel for Unpaid Property Tax**
HYDERABAD, February 21, 2025 – The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) is cracking down on unpaid property taxes, seizing the Taj Banjara Hotel in Banjara Hills today. The hotel owes approximately ₹1.43 crore in back taxes, despite previous notices demanding payment. This follows a similar action two days prior against the SVM Grand Hotel in Banjara Hills, which subsequently paid ₹31.55 lakh after negotiations, with a warning of seizure if remaining dues aren’t settled by March 31st.
The GHMC is facing a significant property tax collection challenge, with outstanding dues totaling ₹9,800 crore. Approximately 500,000 properties are delinquent on their payments. The corporation aims to collect ₹2,200 crore by the end of the current fiscal year. While 12 million of the Greater Hyderabad area’s 23 million properties pay taxes regularly, the GHMC collected only ₹320 crore from 108,000 properties last fiscal year.
GHMC Commissioner Ilambarti has issued a stern warning to officials, setting a March 29 deadline for collecting outstanding dues. To facilitate tax resolution, the corporation will hold special camps with Deputy Commissioners on February 22 and March 1, 8, 15, 22, and 29 from 10 AM to 1 PM.
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