Ghaziabad Municipal Corporation Withdraws Property Tax Hike Amid Public Outcry
The civic body now plans to carry out a comprehensive field survey to reassess properties based on actual construction.
The Ghaziabad Municipal Corporation has withdrawn its recent property tax hike after councillors and local leaders voiced unanimous disapproval during a special board meeting held on Monday, June 30. Mayor Sunita Dayal confirmed that property owners will continue paying taxes at the previous year’s rates. The rollback follows widespread discontent over inflated tax bills that...
The Ghaziabad Municipal Corporation has withdrawn its recent property tax hike after councillors and local leaders voiced unanimous disapproval during a special board meeting held on Monday, June 30. Mayor Sunita Dayal confirmed that property owners will continue paying taxes at the previous year’s rates.
The rollback follows widespread discontent over inflated tax bills that had reportedly tripled or even quintupled for many households under the revised system. In response, the civic body now plans to carry out a comprehensive field survey to reassess properties based on actual construction. The process, expected to take around two to two-and-a-half months, will involve hiring close to 100 temporary surveyors.
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Residents have been encouraged to self-report any structural additions to their properties, which will aid in establishing a more accurate tax base. Ghaziabad currently has around 4.52 lakh registered properties and an estimated 1.25 lakh new constructions yet to be officially taxed. The current structure levies separate charges for house tax, sewage, and water each ranging from 4% to 10%.
The decision to revoke the hike found backing from local MLAs and the city’s MP, all of whom participated in the board meeting. Councillors noted that the earlier revision lacked proper groundwork and disproportionately affected the public. Some described it as hurried and poorly communicated.
Shipra Sun City councillor Sanjay Singh pointed to procedural lapses and absence of transparency in how the hike had been structured. “There was no clarity for residents on how the increased rates were calculated,” he said as reported by Hindustan Times.
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In parallel, three former councillors have approached the Allahabad High Court, challenging the legality of the revised tax model. Their petition calls for the annulment of the new framework, particularly provisions linking tax rates to road width and circle rates. They have also urged the court to direct the civic body to provide age-based taxrelief under Section 174(2)(a) of the UP Municipal Corporation Act.
The petitioners said they would continue pursuing the legal route despite the civic body’s decision to withdraw the hike. They have demanded that GMC publish the official minutes of the board meeting and clarify how unauthorized constructions had gone unchecked for years.
The High Court is scheduled to hear the case on July 29.
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