Hyderabad: A commercial (Ground+4) property in Srinagar Colony, owned by Tamil Nadu former chief minister the late J Jayalalithaa, was briefly sealed by the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) due to long-pending property tax arrears. The premises were later unsealed after her legal heirs assured authorities that the outstanding dues would be cleared at the earliest. The civic body initiated the action on Monday after issuing multiple notices over unpaid taxes. With no response forthcoming, officials proceeded to seal the building. However, following a day of developments, the legal heirs submitted a formal representation to GHMC, prompting the authorities to unseal the building.Officials stated that the commercial building, which includes a penthouse, had accumulated dues exceeding Rs 1.5 crore. Under the ongoing one-time settlement (OTS) scheme—offering a 90 per cent waiver on interest—the payable amount as of March 31 has been reduced to approximately Rs 82 lakh. The property, spread across more than 500 square yards, is estimated to have a land value of around Rs 10 crore.According to GHMC, the annual property tax for the building stands at Rs 7.2 lakh, with arrears accumulating since the financial year 2016–17, following Jayalalithaa’s demise. Authorities also noted that a three-year tax remission had been granted earlier due to the property remaining unoccupied.The Srinagar Colony building was one of four assets declared by Jayalalithaa before the Madras high court in a case. Sources indicate that the property, known as UB House, has remained largely vacant for several years, with only a security guard stationed on-site. It had previously been leased to liquor baron Vijay Mallya before becoming vacant after his departure from the country in 2016.Officials further explained that notices were served to a supervisor overseeing the property, as direct contact with the legal representatives was not possible. Following the sealing, the heirs approached GHMC and conveyed that payment would be made via NEFT, leading to the prompt unsealing of the premises.In May 2020, the Madras HC recognised Jayalalithaa’s nephew J Deepak and niece J Deepa as her Class II legal heirs, affirming their entitlement to inherit her assets.
