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The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) has identified more than one lakh property tax defaulters in the city as part of a Geographic Information System (GIS)-based tax assessment survey, uncovering an estimated tax evasion of over INR 100 crore. The civic body carried out the survey between August 2024 and December 2025 using drone imagery and high-resolution mapping to verify property details against official records. Results showed widespread under-assessment and misclassification of property use, particularly in rapidly urbanised zones, leading to significant revenue loss. GHMC has begun issuing demand notices to defaulters and integrated Property Tax Identification Numbers with electricity data to improve accuracy of assessments. Early field verification of nearly 15,000 properties has already yielded additional revenue. The ongoing effort is expected to further strengthen tax compliance and boost municipal finances as the survey expands across more properties.
The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) has embarked on an expansive property tax compliance drive after a comprehensive GIS-based survey revealed extensive under-assessment across the city, officials said. The exercise, conducted between August 2024 and December 2025, identified over one lakh property owners who are estimated to have evaded more than INR 100 crore in property tax by under-reporting property details or misclassifying usage in official records. Advertisement
GHMC deployed high-resolution satellite and drone imagery as part of the survey, enabling precise mapping of built-up areas and comparison with declared property tax assessments. Six lakh of the roughly 20 lakh properties within the civic limits were assessed during the initial phase. The findings showed marked discrepancies between sanctioned plans and actual property usage, with many cases involving commercial or multi-unit structures being declared as residential properties to attract lower tax rates.
A substantial number of under-assessed properties were concentrated in fast-growing zones such as Serilingampally, Kukatpally and LB Nagar, where rapid urban development has outpaced municipal records. Officials said some owners converted residential properties into commercial units or expanded constructions without corresponding updates in tax declarations, contributing to the revenue shortfall.
To address these gaps, GHMC has started issuing demand notices to identified defaulters and strengthened data cross-verification by integrating Property Tax Identification Numbers (PTINs) with electricity usage data. This approach has enabled the civic body to better understand occupancy patterns and usage types, improving the reliability of tax assessments. Early field verification of nearly 15,000 properties has already generated additional revenue of INR 7.4 crore, and officials expect further collections as the survey progresses.
GHMC's initiative is part of broader efforts to enhance tax compliance and bolster municipal finances amid increasing expenditure demands on urban services and infrastructure. The use of GIS and other modern technologies is aimed at reducing assessment errors, curbing evasion, and ensuring a fairer distribution of the tax burden. Continued enforcement and expanded verification efforts are expected to further strengthen revenue inflows, supporting the civic body's capacity to fund public services and development projects.
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