Govt Grants SVK Gachibowli Property Tax Exemption for Non-Commercial Areas

The State government has granted a partial property tax exemption to the Sundarayya Vignana Kendram (SVK) in Gachibowli, restricting the financial relief strictly to the portion of the premises utilized for non-commercial purposes.

Under the official directives, Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) Commissioner RV Karnan has been instructed to take necessary action in accordance with the government's orders. The Commissioner will extend the property tax exemption under Section 202 of the GHMC Act-1955, ensuring it applies only to the specific non-commercial areas of the SVK facility in Gachibowli.

The state government emphasized that the tax exemption must be restricted strictly to the non-commercial portion of the premises. The GHMC is required to levy property tax on any area of the property that is currently being used for commercial purposes, as per the provisions of the GHMC Act and the rules in force.

Jayesh Ranjan, the Special Chief Secretary to the government, stated that compliance with these directives must be reported back to the State administration.

The government's decision follows a detailed review of an inspection report. The managing trustee of SVK had initially furnished relevant copies of documents to seek a full property tax exemption for the facility.

Following this request, the Zonal Commissioner of the Serilingampally Zone submitted a factual report to the GHMC. A preliminary inspection of the Gachibowli site was conducted by the Zonal Commissioner, alongside a local bill collector and a tax inspector.

During the course of the inspection, officials observed that a substantial portion of the SVK premises is being commercially utilized. The inspection team noted that these areas are leased out to private IT firms, fitness companies, and sports firms.

While the inspectors verified that a part of the premises is being used for a library and meeting purposes, they concluded that the dominant usage pattern of the building indicated commercial purposes through leasing.

Based on the factual report from the Serilingampally Zone, the GHMC requested the State government to examine the managing trustee's request. Following a careful examination of the matter, the government finalized the decision to grant the tax exemption solely for the non-commercial sections.