PCMC collects tax from 65% of property owners in six-and-a-half months of financial year
Residents of Newly Integrated Villages Around Pune Grapple with Higher Taxes; Seek Solution From State Govt
Pune : The tax collection department of the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation has achieved remarkable success in collecting taxes over the past two years. Previously, there were significant arrears from taxpayers that had accumulated over the years.
However, the PCMC’s tax collection department has successfully recovered these pending dues. In the financial year 2022–23, a total of Rs 350 crore was recovered, followed by Rs 201 crore in the financial year 2023–24 within the first six-and-a-half months. This marks a historic milestone for the civic body, as it has collected a revenue of Rs 604 crore in the current financial year, the highest ever recorded.
The city has a total of 6.07 lakh registered properties, including residential, industrial, non-residential, mixed, and open land. The tax collection department of the PCMC is responsible for collecting taxes from these property owners. To ensure effective tax collection, various measures have been implemented, such as awareness campaigns, confiscation drives, issuing notices to property owners, disconnecting tap connections, publishing the names of defaulters in newspapers, distributing bills through women self-help groups, raising awareness through auto-rickshaws, displaying hoardings at important intersections, organising reels competitions, and utilising social media platforms.
Previously, property owners in the city had accumulated significant dues, which continued to increase each year due to non-recovery. However, under the leadership of Assistant Commissioner Nilesh Deshmukh, a comprehensive plan was developed in collaboration with Commissioner and Administrator Shekhar Singh and Additional Commissioner Pradeep Jambhale-Patil to recover these dues. As a result, the recovery of arrears has been steadily increasing over the past two years. A total of Rs 555 crore in old dues has been recovered in the years 2022–23 and 2023–24, indicating a positive trend of defaulters paying both current taxes and arrears. The tax collection department has primarily focused on collecting taxes from large, defaulting non-residential property owners, including residents.
In the past six-and-a-half months, the tax collection department of the PCMC has successfully collected Rs 604 crore in taxes from 65% of property owners. Assistant Commissioner Nilesh Deshmukh has announced that the department will make special efforts to recover the remaining 35% of taxpayers’ arrears in the next five-and-a-half months.
The PCMC has been able to recover outstanding taxes of Rs 269 crore in 2021–22, Rs 354 crore in 2022–23, and Rs 201 crore in the first six and a half months of 2023–24. However, there is still an outstanding amount of Rs 600 crore owed by defaulters, and the tax collection department has sent attachment notices to 41,307 people and attachment letters to 36,719 property owners in the current financial year. The collection of taxes has been made through various modes, including online, various apps, cash, checks, RTGS, EDC, NEFT, and DD.
The Commissioner and Administrator of Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation, Shekhar Singh, added, ”Tax collection department to conduct an auction of the properties seized last year. Additionally, a special meeting was convened to ensure that the properties in the city are cleared in accordance with the government’s 7/12 computerization. The municipality is making every possible effort to bolster its financial position.”
Pradeep Jambhale-Patil, Additional Commissioner of the Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation, added, ”A meeting was conducted last week with all divisional and administration officers to establish a methodology for transparent work practices. Additionally, a time-bound programme has been developed for the seizure operation. The ongoing survey in the city is expected to revolutionise the financial condition of the civic body, and measures are being taken to ensure its accuracy and completeness.”
Nilesh Deshmukh, Assistant Commissioner, Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation, ”The Department’s officers and staff are dedicated to meeting the targets established by the seizure operation and survey. A concerted effort is underway to collect long-standing outstanding debts. The seizure campaign has gained momentum, and we aim to recover the highest possible amount of dues during this fiscal year.”
Madhupriya Dhanwate
