16 Jul 2025

Prayagraj is set to witness the implementation of Uttar Pradesh's overhauled Bed & Breakfast (B&B) and Homestay Policy 2025, aiming to establish approximately 800 new registered homestay-cum-B&B units in the city. The initiative, overseen by the state's tourism department, intends to enhance accommodation infrastructure, especially around religious and tourist hotspots. It replaces the earlier paying guest model with a formalised framework that mandates safety features, owner occupancy, limited room capacity, and cultural engagement. The registration process is being eased for interested residents, with nominal registration fees, NOC-based approvals, and structured classification into Silver and Gold categories. The policy also carries wider implications for employment generation, women empowerment, and tourism-led economic growth in the region.Read more

10 Jul 2025

The Uttar Pradesh Cabinet has approved new Building Construction and Development Byelaws 2025 for Prayagraj, removing the need for prior building plan approvals for houses on plots up to 100 square meters. This aims to simplify homebuilding for middle-class families, saving about INR 1.25 lakh in fees. The bylaws also introduce flexible building usage, allowing home-based shops and offices, and ease approvals for larger projects. While not applicable to restricted areas, the changes are expected to boost housing and retail activities, improving city revenue.Read more

08 Jul 2025

The Prayagraj Municipal Corporation (PMC) is set to launch a unified billing system for property, water, and sewer taxes, expected to go live next week. This initiative aims to simplify the tax process for residents and reduce administrative burdens by consolidating separate bills into one. The system, aligning with state government guidelines, will integrate all necessary data and offer flexible online and offline payment options. This move is part of PMC's efforts to enhance transparency, citizen engagement, and operational efficiency, promising a streamlined approach to municipal tax collection.Read more

23 Jun 2025

The Prayagraj Municipal Corporation (PMC) is preparing to launch a redevelopment initiative across 88 vacant and fenced plots located in localities such as Naini, Jhunsi, Phaphamau, Bamrauli, and Jhalwa. The plan involves constructing multi-storey buildings with commercial shops on the ground and first floors and residential flats above, aiming to boost the city's income while addressing the growing issue of illegal encroachments. Encroached municipal land especially in Kareli, Daraganj, Rasulabad and other densely populated areas is also set to be reclaimed. The civic body will soon present a detailed land inventory for formal approval before initiating construction and legal proceedings.Read more

05 Jun 2025

The Prayagraj Development Authority (PDA) is offering 764 unsold affordable flats across 12 residential schemes in Prayagraj, targeting EWS, LIG, and 1BHK, 2BHK, and 3BHK buyers. Allotments will be made via a transparent lottery system. To boost accessibility, PDA has reduced prices by 10% across all categories. Key projects include Jagriti Vihar Awasiya Yojna, Mausam Vihar Apartment, Vasudha Vihar, Mangal Vihar, Sugam Vihar, Yamuna Vihar in Naini, Janhvi Apartment, Manas Vihar, Azad Apartment, Divine Apartment in Trivenipuram (4BHK), Saras Vihar in Jhunsi, and Govindpur luxury flats. PDA has published details on janhit.upda.in and www.pdaprayagraj.org, with helpline support available. This initiative aims to meet Prayagraj's growing housing demand while ensuring transparency and affordability in the home-buying process.Read more

29 May 2025

Prayagraj Municipal Corporation launched QR code stickers to streamline and accelerate house and water tax collection throughout Sangam City. Starting with commercial properties and expanding zone-wise to residential areas, the initiative enables tax collectors to facilitate both online and offline payments through door-to-door visits. This digital advancement addresses previous inefficiencies caused by delayed payments and excuses related to online transfers. The system enables homeowners to pay house, water, and sewer taxes together. With over 177,000 properties identified, the corporation targets immediate recovery from 55,000 buildings, enhancing transparency, convenience, and revenue efficiency in municipal tax collection.Read more

28 May 2025

The Prayagraj district administration has initiated stringent recovery actions against more than 2,000 beneficiaries of the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) who received financial assistance but failed to construct their homes. The defaulters include 1,507 rural beneficiaries under PMAY-Gramin and 504 urban beneficiaries under PMAY-Urban. Notably, nearly 470 urban beneficiaries received financial aid almost six years ago but have yet to commence construction. The administration is preparing to issue Recovery Certificates (RCs) from the respective tehsils to reclaim the misused public funds.Read more

05 May 2025

The Prayagraj Municipal Corporation (PMC) has begun levying house tax on approximately 1.25 lakh residential buildings in newly incorporated areas like Naini, Jhunsi, Phaphamau, Jhalwa, and Bamrauli. This marks the first time these zones fall under municipal taxation, as PMC aims to formalise urban expansion and boost revenue. Residents are encouraged to complete a self-assessment process to ensure accurate billing, with physical verification to follow if needed. A 10% rebate is offered for payments made by July 31. This initiative follows low compliance in the previous year and reflects PMC's broader push to integrate peripheral areas and strengthen civic service delivery.Read more

18 Apr 2025

After five years following the expansion of Prayagraj's urban limits in 2020-21, the Prayagraj Municipal Corporation (PMC) is now set to collect house tax on 1.5 lakh additional buildings in the newly included areas. Property owners in these areas will also be required to pay water tax. Tax collection has already started in several parts, including Naini and Jhunsi, where basic urban amenities were provided earlier. The move follows similar plans in Gorakhpur and Varanasi. While some villagers express dissatisfaction due to a lack of urban development, many property owners have already paid their house tax for the current fiscal year.Read more

26 Mar 2025

The Prayagraj Municipal Corporation (PMC) has urged homeowners to clear their house and water taxes by March 31, 2025, to avoid penalties. Payments after the deadline will attract 12% interest on property tax and a 10% surcharge on water tax. So far, the PMC has collected INR 95.50 crore from 146,210 properties, aiming for INR 130 crore by year-end. To improve convenience, a unified online portal with QR code-enabled tax bills has been launched for easy payments. Similar efforts in cities like Delhi show a national push toward digital tax collection, boosting transparency and civic revenue for essential services.Read more

18 Mar 2025

The Uttar Pradesh government has approved Prayagraj Development Authority's (PDA) Master Plan-2031, expanding the city's area from 309 sq. km to 398 sq. km by incorporating 639 villages. Key features include a new 'Highway Facility' land use category along major roads for commercial hubs and legalizing existing unauthorized commercial properties. This structured urbanization aims to boost infrastructure, attract investments, and streamline property regulations. Similar to urban expansion projects in Delhi and Mumbai, the plan seeks to modernize Prayagraj into a more structured and business-friendly city, ensuring sustainable growth over the next decade.Read more

22 Jan 2025

The Mahakumbh Mela in Prayagraj is hosting millions of devotees, with 1.75 crore participating in the 'Amrit Snan' on Makar Sankranti. Attendees can choose from a variety of accommodations, including luxury tents by TUTC at INR 70,000-INR 1 lakh per night, offering en suite bathrooms and guided tours. Mid-range options like Kumbh Camp India Adhvanta start at INR 14,000, while budget stays by UPSTDC range from INR 1,500 to INR 35,000. Packages like MakeMyTrip's "Soulful Kumbh" at INR 28,695 per person provide additional convenience. Visitors are encouraged to book early, as demand is high for this spiritually significant gathering.Read more

PNT Reporter

19 Dec 2024

To prepare for the influx of pilgrims expected during the Maha Kumbh in 2025, the Prayagraj airport has undergone significant expansion at a cost of INR 233 crore. The revamped airport will increase passenger handling capacity from 350 to 2,050 passengers per hour with upgrades to terminal buildings and the apron area. Additional facilities include expanded aircraft parking bays, a new taxiway for smoother operations, night landing capabilities, and improved city-side amenities such as enhanced parking and a culturally inspired theme. Airlines have proposed 14 new flights, and provisions for chartered planes and transfer services for pilgrims are also in place.Read more

PNT Reporter

03 Dec 2024

The Cabinet has approved three multi-tracking railway projects worth INR 7,927 crore along the Prayagraj-Mumbai corridor, aimed at enhancing passenger and freight capacity. The projects include a 4th line between Jalgaon and Manmad (160 km), a 3rd and 4th line between Bhusawal and Khandwa (131 km), and a 3rd line from Prayagraj (Iradatganj) to Manikpur. Spanning seven districts across Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, and Uttar Pradesh, the upgrades will extend the rail network by 639 km, enabling smoother travel and increased freight traffic of 51 MTPA. These projects will also support climate goals by reducing 271 crore kilograms of CO2 emissions, equivalent to planting 11 crore trees, while boosting regional connectivity and economic growth.Read more

08 Oct 2024

The Prayagraj Municipal Corporation (PMC) has seen a substantial increase in tax collection, thanks to a new software system for online assessments and payments. By September 2024, the PMC collected approximately INR 53 crore from house taxes, up from INR 36 crore the previous year. The corporation has also extended the deadline for a 10% tax rebate until October 31. Upcoming initiatives include pothole-free road repairs, regular cultural programmes at the Ganga-Yamuna ghats, and a commitment to clean drains to address water logging issues. Additional decisions include providing communication equipment to officers and planting thousands of saplings.Read more

24 Sep 2024

Prayagraj Municipal Corporation (PMC) has introduced a modern QR code payment system, allowing residents to pay their house tax from home while earning extra savings. Homeowners can now enjoy a 12.5% total discount on house tax, with an additional 2.5% rebate for using the QR code option. This initiative aims to simplify tax payments, promote cashless transactions, and improve compliance among over 1.2 lakh property owners across the city. The system promises a hassle-free way to keep up with taxes while benefiting from extra savings.Read more

15 Dec 2023

Prayagraj Municipal Corporation (PMC) is taking stringent measures against major house tax defaulters, issuing 'red notices' to 7,303 individuals with outstanding amounts exceeding Rs 50,000. Among them, 2,433 owe over Rs 1 lakh. Failure to pay within the stipulated time will result in actions such as attaching and sealing their properties. Despite collecting Rs 53.76 crore in house tax from 1,11,827 building owners in the current fiscal year, more than 1.25 lakh individuals haven't fulfilled their obligations. The PMC clarified that no compound interest is charged on house tax; instead, a simple interest rate of 1% per month is applied, seeking to dispel misconceptions about interest accumulation.Read more

18 Aug 2023

The Prayagraj Municipal Corporation (PMC) has replaced the Geographical Information Survey (GIS) for house area calculations with self-assessment forms. Property owners can now evaluate their own properties for tax assessment. The PMC initiated self-assessment for house tax calculation, with detailed forms available at zonal offices and PMC campus. Owners must provide accurate details including property type, area measurements, and occupancy status. Failure to provide accurate information may lead to penalties. Local corporators will aid in the process, and forms must be submitted by October 31, 2023. The change aims to streamline taxation and enhance accuracy.Read more