The government collects House Tax to fund the fuel for the bulldozers they send to demolish the same houses for being 'unauthorized'.
The Uttar Pradesh government has launched the 'OTS-2026' (One Time Settlement) scheme, a masterstroke in administrative flexibility. The process is simple: first, the Development Authority ignores 'illegal' construction for decades; second, the Municipal Corporation collects property taxes; third, the High Court expresses 'displeasure' at the lack of demolition; and fourth, the government asks citizens to pay a 'settlement fee' to buy back the right to live in the houses they already own. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has urged officials to be 'friendly and courteous' while explaining that your house is a legal entity only if your check clears.