Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation Achieves Historic Tax Collection of Rs 447 Crores in Just 90 Days

Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation‘s tax collection and taxation department has achieved an unprecedented milestone in the history of the municipality. In a remarkable feat, the department collected a staggering sum of INR 447 crores from over 50 percent of taxpayers in just 90 days. Commissioner and Administrator Shekhar Singh expressed his gratitude towards the citizens who contributed to the city’s development by diligently paying their taxes.

With a total of 602,203 registered properties comprising residential, industrial, non-residential, mixed, and vacant land, the Tax Collection and Taxation Department of the Municipal Corporation has been responsible for collecting property taxes from the property owners. Last year, the department carried out various activities such as public awareness campaigns, confiscation drives, issuing notices to property owners, closure of tap connections, and publishing the list of defaulters in newspapers. This year, they employed innovative strategies such as distributing bills through women self-help groups, raising public awareness through rickshaws and hoardings, organizing social media competitions, and sending customized SMS messages to individuals stating their property tax amounts and concessions. Through these efforts, the department successfully collected INR 447 crores in the first quarter of the 2023-24 fiscal year alone.

Out of the 602,203 property owners, a remarkable 303,350 property owners, representing 50 percent, paid their taxes within the three-month period. This resulted in a deposit of INR 3.96 crores in the municipal treasury.

Project Siddhi for Growth

In a strategic move this year, the municipality implemented Project Siddhi, whereby property tax bills were distributed to women in self-help groups. The project turned out to be a resounding success, with hundreds of women achieving a 100 percent bill distribution rate within a mere forty days, regardless of the challenging weather conditions. The timely bill distribution allowed citizens to avail discounts until June 30, further emphasizing the innovative capabilities of women self-help groups. This experience not only provided valuable information to the women involved but also created various opportunities for them within the municipality.

Numbers Speak: Graph of Tax Collection in Three Months

Year Number of Taxpayers Amount (in crores)

2020-21 – 115,851 148

2021-22 – 139,649 171

2022-23  – 196,839 253

2023-24 –  303,350 447

Record Day: June 30, 2023

While the highest tax payments typically occur on March 31 at the end of the year, this year saw a record-breaking day on June 30. All tax collection divisional offices were crowded with property owners, surpassing all previous records. On this single day, a total of 14,620 citizens paid an astounding INR 30.85 crores, with INR 21 crores being paid through online transactions.

Breakdown of Tax Collection:
Online: INR 291.81 crores
Miscellaneous Apps: INR 4.68 crores
Cash: INR 52.47 crores
By Cheque: INR 37.74 crores
EDC: INR 4.08 crores
RTGS: INR 21.70 crores
DD: INR 1.36 crores

Residential Property Owners Take the Lead in Tax Payment
Out of the 303,350 property owners who paid their taxes, a significant number of 268,006 were residential property owners. Additionally, 23,916 non-residential, 7,130 mixed, 2,246 industrial, and 2,018 vacant land property holders fulfilled their tax obligations.

Wakad, Sangvi, Chinchwad, and Thergaon Lead in Tax Payments
The city’s tax collection is divided into 17 zones, with the highest number of tax payments recorded in the Wakad zone (39,600), followed by Sangvi (34,694), Chinchwad (29,303), and Thergaon (28,368). The lowest number of property owners who paid their taxes was in the Talwade zone, with 4,131 payments.

Target for Tax Recovery and Overdue Arrears
With more than 50 percent of property owners having paid their taxes within three months, the focus now shifts to collecting taxes from the remaining 50 percent in the ninth month of the financial year. The department’s primary aim will be to recover tax arrears accumulated over the years and achieve 100 percent tax recovery for the current period.

Commissioner and Administrators Express Gratitude
The historic achievement of the tax collection department is attributed to the responsible, honest, and conscientious taxpayers. Commissioner Shekhar Singh thanked all the citizens for their contributions and assured them that the tax revenue would be utilized for the sustainable development of the city. He also emphasized his commitment to making the city’s infrastructure world-class.

This achievement is the result of a team effort, incorporating innovative ideas and initiatives implemented since the previous year. Despite the need for some unpleasant activities such as confiscations, these measures contribute to the city’s development and make it more beautiful and livable for its residents.

The tax collection department also expressed gratitude to the women of the self-help groups for their instrumental role in the successful execution of Project Siddhi. They praised the Foxberry system for information analysis and the creative and engaging awareness campaigns carried out. Additionally, the department acknowledged the invaluable contributions of all the employees, emphasizing the privilege of leading an efficient team.