RTI Reveals Massive Property Tax Dues To Pune Municipal Corporation: Mohamadwadi & Undri Owes Rs 129 Cr & Rs 100 Cr
RTI Reveals Massive Property Tax Dues To Pune Municipal Corporation: Mohamadwadi & Undri Owes Rs 129 Cr & Rs 100 Cr
In a recent revelation obtained through an RTI filed by Sunil Koloti, by a resident of Undri, the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) disclosed that property tax arrears in the Mohamadwadi area alone amount to at least Rs 129 Cr & in Undri around Rs 100 Cr. The RTI, directed to PMC’s Tax and Taxation Department, sought detailed records of property tax collections from 2018 to 2024 from both residential / individual properties and Commercial establishments.
The information provided under the RTI outlines that between April 1, 2023, and September 2024, Mohamadwadi’s 13,878 residential properties paid Rs 30 crores in property taxes, while 1,145 non-residential properties contributed Rs 19.94 crores. In nearby Undri Gaon, 17,595 residential properties paid Rs 47.24 crores, and 1,613 non-residential properties added Rs 15.10 crores. Meanwhile, Undri Pisoli saw 783 residential properties pay Rs 1.86 crores, with 54 non-residential properties paying Rs 0.20 crores within the same period.
Overall tax collection figures from 2018 to 2024 indicate that PMC collected Rs 142 crores from Mohamadwadi, Rs 110.74 crores from Undri Gaon, and Rs 6.31 crores from Pisoli Gaon a total of Rs 259.05 Cr.
The RTI also requested information on infrastructure spending on services like water, electricity, and roads in these areas; however, the Tax and Taxation Department responded that this information did not pertain to their department. Also with the collections done, residents feel deprived of basic amenities and services provided by PMC towards Water Supply, Roads & Infrastructure, Sewage Pipelines, No Parks or facilities provided, Streetlights are barely working which amount to security issues during night time and encroachments are rampant.
Additionally, when input was request for outstanding dues to from both locations PMC shared details on outstanding property tax dues as of October 23, 2024 was Rs.229 Cr distributed within Mohamadwadi, the total dues amount to Rs 129 crores, while Undri Gaon owes Rs 87.23 crores, and Pisoli Gaon has outstanding dues of Rs 12.70 crores. Looking at the outstanding dues there has been no effort from the PMC Tax department on the recovery front.
Sunil Koloti, a resident of Undri who filed the RTI said, “The RTI findings highlight a very concerning disconnect between the significant property tax revenues collected by the PMC and the inadequate infrastructure provided to residents in Mohamadwadi and Undri. With Rs 229 crore in outstanding dues and tax collections from 2018 to 2024 totaling Rs 259.05 crore, it’s troubling that basic services like water supply, proper roads, functional streetlights, and public amenities remain subpar and where the funds being diverted is a biggest question mark.”
Koloti further stated, “This raises serious questions about PMC’s transparency and accountability in resource allocation. Additionally, the apparent lack of proactive efforts to recover the mounting dues underscores a failure in fiscal management. Urgent action is needed to ensure these funds are recovered and invested meaningfully in improving the living conditions for the residents who have long been neglected.”
Another resident of Undri, Suniel Aiyer on the information revealed in the RTI commented, “The information provided is at odds. Although close to Rs.270 cr shown collected in Mohamadwadi & Undri from 2018 till date the amounts spent on infrastructure like Roads and Electric supply are not available or not provided. Also approx Rs.200 cr shown as bad debt till date in the 2 areas. If one looks at it logically a vast amount is yet to be collected and no political will seen in collecting it. The city father’s ought to have better fiscal management and deploy funds collected from an area to improve infra. As we see no efforts made at all to provide Water, Sanitation, Roads, Gutters and above all make recreational parks for the population in areas marked as Amenity spaces. A lopsided development which would have adverse impact on the citizens tricked into buying dwellings but left to the Almighty above for recourse or results. A humble appeal to the authorities to lay emphasis on infra by getting the D.P. plan approved first and go slow on further construction till the present situation is attended to some extent. In the absence of any such concrete plan the city is heading for a big disaster!”
Col Pradeep Masand, a resident of Undri said, “It is such a pathetic state of affairs at PMC that common citizens are at their mercy despite paying due taxes to them, there is a dearth of basic amenities like drinking water, sewage lines, drainage, good roads and street lights. It is pertinent to mention that these are the most critical items for which the PMC is created by the State Government. Where do citizens go and beg for these basic services? Political parties only come at the time of elections to ask for votes and make false promises but after the elections are over they simply forget the voters. This has been repeated for the last 15 years in and around Undri.”
Koloti on the RTI replies commented, “Under the RTI Act, a request was directed to PMC, mandating the nodal officer to compile relevant data across departments and provide a comprehensive response. However, the reply regarding expenditures on Water Supply, Roads & Infrastructure, and Electrical Streetlights stated: “No Relation with Tax Collection Department,” raising significant concerns about accountability and transparency. Moreover, the credibility of the provided data is highly questionable. While property tax collection from 2018 to 2024 reportedly totals 259.05 crores, the outstanding property tax dues up to October 2024 amount to 229 crores. This discrepancy suggests severe data inconsistency or potential misrepresentation of facts under the RTI Act, undermining public trust and casting doubt on PMC’s data integrity.”
“In Mohamadwadi and Undri residents are voicing growing concerns about the non- existent state of local infrastructure. Aging roads are creating hazardous and uncomfortable conditions for daily commuters, local businesses, and residential areas. Despite paying taxes since 2018 to the tune of Rs 1.5 lakh each. the state of the roads. Potholes, no pavements, and uneven surfaces have made commuting difficult and dangerous. and the recent rains have exacerbated their condition. Motorists and cyclists alike are vulnerable to often fatal accidents. Delivery vehicles struggle to navigate the uneven roads, causing delays and additional maintenance costs. In turn, this impacts the local economy, as businesses cannot operate efficiently. The issue of no sewage facility is another pressing problem. This creates serious health risks besides mosquito breeding. In addition, there is no municipal water supply for harassed residents who have to spend their hard earned money to pay the tankers for survival besides paying municipal taxes to the PMC . Clean water, a basic necessity, remains elusive for all the household. The lack of adequate street lighting poses another safety risk for residents. Poor lighting on main roads and neighborhood streets makes it unsafe for pedestrians, especially at night. Several sections of the areas have had non-functional lights for months, despite repeated complaints to municipal authorities. This darkness not only increases the risk of accidents but also poses a security risk, with poorly lit areas being more susceptible to crime. The harassed n the oppressed Citizens are calling for immediate intervention to address these infrastructural challenges. A clear plan for road repairs, clean drinking water, sewage upgrades, and improved lighting must be prioritized, along with budget allocations and scheduled maintenance. Without urgent measures, the quality of life in these areas will continue to deteriorate, and both the health and safety of residents will be at risk. Local authorities must act now to ensure that basic infrastructure is not only repaired but maintained to avoid such crises in the future, ” said Commander Pankaj Bhatnagar, another resident of Undri.
“The reply to the RTI clubs Flats, Apartments, Bungalows and individual houses into residential property shows a large amount as outstanding tax. They need to subclassify the residential property into Flats, Bungalows and individual houses and should provide tax dues from each category. This is important because data gathered from the housing society in these areas show that there are hardly about 8 percent flat owners who might have defaulted on tax payment and about 92 percent flat owners have paid their taxes regularly. Obviously, flat owners are the ones who pay their PMC taxes diligently and still are deprived of basic amenities and made to do with pathetic roads, very little or no PMC water, etc. If there are tax defaults, it is important to know which category of residential property owners are the major defaulters and PMC needs to act against them. Quoting big default amounts of the area to justify poor infrastructure in the area is brushing everyone, honest taxpayers and the culprits in the same stroke. Also if the amount spent on infrastructure was not in the preview of the tax department, it was their responsibility to forward that part of the query to the concerned dept, said Retd. Indian Navy Commodore Harshad Datar, a resident of Mohamadwadi for the last one decade.
When Pune Pulse contacted the officials at the Tax and Taxation department, they stated that the property tax collection was halted due to a recent government ruling. Once we receive a green signal, the collection of dues shall resume. Also, development works are happening in the city from the earnings which PMC gets.
