Houses / Flats in an apartment if owned by armed forces serving as well as retd personnel are exempted from house tax liability in hyderabad/secunderabad ( less houses under Sec'Bad Cantt ). Many such houses long purchased from their respective Armed forces personnel though Registered at the Sub registrar Office by the civilian counterparts are still exempted house tax as the present owner have not intimated change of possession to the municipal auth .
On my enquiry i found that registration office is not duty bound to intimate such change in possesion . As per them it is the duty of the present registered owner to report the matter to the concerned Municipal auth . One of the important tasks of the field officers posted at the municipal offices is to crossckeck whether the house is self occupied , sold or rented . Unless self occupied / left vacant such exemption is not permitted .
Now whose duty is to ensure that legally tranferred flats /houses belonging to armed forces personnel are duly taxed if the Field officer in collusion with the present owner fails to report the changes in ownership.