Hyderabad: A ward-wise tax arrears recovery proposal was submitted on Sunday by residents of Ward-8, Secunderabad Cantonment, to senior cantonment and defence estate authorities. The proposal seeks stricter and more legally structured enforcement of overdue house tax collections under the Cantonments Act 2006.It was addressed to the chief executive officer of the Secunderabad Cantonment Board, the principal director defence estates (Southern Command, Pune), and the director general defence estates, New Delhi. The proposal highlights the ongoing challenges of collecting revenue from residential property owners and calls for a systematic, ward-level enforcement mechanism based on statutory provisions.
The plan involves a fortnightly enforcement drive in each ward, including official field visits, the service of statutory demand notices, the recovery of penalties and interest, and the escalation of action against chronic defaulters. The proposal specifically cites Sections 100, 101, 102 and 324 of the Act to outline the legal basis for demand notices, the levying of interest at one per cent per month on overdue taxes and the recovery of these taxes through distress, attachment or the sale of property, provided that the necessary authorisation is in place.The framework recommends forming dedicated ward-level teams led by tax officers and supported by assistant tax inspectors, records or IT staff, enforcement personnel, and local ward representatives. These teams would handle taxpayer engagement, the real-time updating of arrears data, the verification of details, and the escalation of unresolved cases.A structured 14-day operational cycle has been proposed, beginning with the extraction and prioritisation of ward-specific arrears data. This is followed by the service of notices and field visits, the collection of payments and database updates. The cycle concludes with the reporting and escalation of persistent defaulters. Regular reporting is emphasised to ensure accountability and continuity.The proposal outlines a clear penalty structure based on the length of the default period. This includes the issuing of statutory notices after 30 days, the application of interest between days 31 and 60, the issuing of final demands between days 61 and 90, and the consideration of coercive measures, such as warrants or service disconnections, after 90 days. These measures are subject to Board approval.The proposal also emphasises the importance of communicating with residents and promotes online payments via the e-Chhavani portal to improve compliance and reduce the administrative burden. To support informed decision-making, data-driven monitoring through ward-wise dashboards tracking arrears, collections and penalties has been proposed.
