Hyderabad, March 31 – Municipal authorities in Hyderabad seized the residence of the late Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, J. Jayalalithaa, on Tuesday due to unpaid property taxes.
Officials of the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) sealed the G+4 building belonging to the late leader in the Srinagar colony, located within the 38th ward of Yousufguda.
According to officials, the property, with house number 8-3-1099/A, is registered in the name of Jayalalithaa.
The GHMC took this action because the outstanding property tax amount had reached over Rs. 82 lakh. Officials stated that the outstanding property tax for this building had been accumulating since 2017.
Deputy Commissioner Suresh issued notices to individuals associated with the property last month. However, as the concerned individuals did not respond, GHMC officials sealed the house.
According to officials, after accounting for applicable rebates under the One-Time Settlement (OTS) scheme, the outstanding tax arrears amount to Rs 82,91,822. Since the OTS scheme is only valid until March 31, the arrears are likely to increase further.
The building was classified as commercial because it was being used as a private office, which resulted in a higher tax liability.
Jayalalitha's nephew, Deepak Jayakumar, had approached the GHMC, requesting a reclassification of the property from commercial to residential. Jayakumar, a resident of Chennai, had informed the municipal authorities that the building had been used for residential purposes since 2017.
As the dues remained unpaid, the municipal officials sealed the property.
Jayalalithaa had reportedly acquired the building in 1967 for Rs. 50,000. The market value of the property in 2015 was assessed at Rs. 5 crore.
The late Tamil Nadu Chief Minister had a close association with Hyderabad since she started acting in movies. She frequently visited the city.
The AIADMK leader had acquired several properties here, including a house in Secunderabad and a farmhouse at Medchal on the outskirts of the city.