PCMC Plans to Disconnect Water Supply Of Society Residents Who Fail to Pay Property Tax

Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) is taking bold decisions for property tax collection. Now, as per the decision of the High Court, a campaign will be carried out to disconnect the internal tap connection of the arrears of the flat holders in residential societies. Therefore, the society residents have been requested to cooperate with the Municipal Corporation by paying their arrears of property tax. The societies will get a deadline of three days to pay the outstanding property tax arrears.

Shekhar Singh, PCMC Commissioner, said “The decision of Bombay High Court has been received recently. During the year, the PCMC also disconnected internal tap connections in some societies. But now this decision of the High Court has declared the action of disconnecting the tap connection of the concerned defaulters to be legal. So, it will be strictly enforced from tomorrow. Such orders have been given to the tax collection department.”

As per further information from the PCMC, a target of Rs 1 thousand crores has been given to the tax and taxation department of the Municipal Corporation. So far, tax amounting to Rs 860 crore has been collected in the municipal treasury. However, various efforts are being made to achieve the target of one thousand crores. Now these efforts have gained further strength due to a decision of the High Court.

Therefore, the municipal corporation is trying to collect maximum tax in the remaining 11 days of the financial year.

A writ petition was filed in Bombay High Court in 2023 against Maharashtra Government, Vasai Virar Municipal Corporation and others. The decision of the High Court has come on February 15. Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation has recently received a copy of the court decision. Even earlier, the Municipal Corporation’s Taxation and Tax Collection Department had given a letter to the defaulters about disconnecting the tap connection in the society. Accordingly, tap connections in some big societies of the city have been disconnected.

Can Municipal Corporation disconnect tap connection for property tax default or not? This petition was filed in the High Court. During the hearing of this petition, the Court has made a significant observation that it is a matter of concern if property owners are refusing to pay taxes. They have made it clear that they will not prevent the Vasai Virar Municipal Corporation from using whatever rules are there in law to recover the arrears if the property owners want municipal services without paying the tax.

There are many societies in the city where thousands of flat owners have property tax arrears. However, some of the flat holders in the respective societies have paid property tax, water tax. In that case, the tap connection of the concerned society cannot be disconnected. Therefore, the Municipal Corporation should give a specific time limit to the concerned society. The Municipal Corporation should give instructions to the concerned society holders to disconnect the internal tap connection of the arrears in that society.

According to that, if the office-bearers of the society do not disconnect the tap connection of the arrears, the municipal corporation should disconnect the tap connection itself. But if property owners want to avail municipal service facilities, they have to pay property tax, water tax and other taxes. The High Court has also insisted on this.

Copy of judgment of Bombay High Court to defaulting societies and list of defaulters will be asked through the Municipal Corporation to publish on the WhatsApp group of the concerned society as well as on the notice board. A written deadline of three days will be given to the defaulter in the society to disconnect the internal tap connection. Therefore, the office bearers of the society should bring this matter of arrears to their attention.

The administrative procedure for disconnection of the tap connection of the outstanding flat holders in the society will be implemented from tomorrow (Thursday) itself. Therefore, it has been appealed to the defaulters to pay the arrears immediately to avoid defamation.

Shreyas Vange