Pune: Housing Societies in Wakad Surprised by NA Tax Notices Despite Government’s Announcement of Abolition
Wakad, 30th December 2024: Housing societies in Wakad, a locality in Pimpri-Chinchwad, have recently received notices demanding payment of pending non-agricultural (NA) taxes, despite the Maharashtra government’s October 2024 announcement that it would abolish the tax.
The NA tax, which has been in place since the British era, was scrapped by the Eknath Shinde-led state government following a cabinet meeting earlier this year. The decision had been hailed as a long-awaited victory for housing societies, as the tax had been a significant burden on properties falling under municipal corporation and municipal council limits.
However, the issuance of demand notices in recent weeks has left many residents confused. Vishal Titre, a member of the Riddhi Siddhi Heights Society on Pink City Road, said the notice caught him by surprise. Titre’s society has been regularly paying the NA tax, which is assessed by the local talathi office. “Every year, we receive a notice to pay the NA tax. We were not expecting it this time, but here we are,” he added.
Sushant Kulkarni from Alliance Nisarga White Lilly Housing Society in Wakad expressed similar confusion. “For the first time, we received a demand notice for NA tax this year, even though our society has been around for eight years. Many of our members were unaware of the NA tax, and when we researched it, we found that the government had announced the scrapping of the system,” Kulkarni shared. “Now, we’re uncertain whether the notice is valid.”
A senior official from the district administration explained that although the cabinet decision to abolish the tax was made just before the state assembly elections in October, the official government resolution has not yet been issued. “We have not received any formal guidelines from the government instructing us to stop collecting the NA tax,” the official said.
“As per our routine procedure, demand notices are sent out from August each year, and the collection process continues until March the following year.”
The official added that once the state government or the district collectorate provides updated instructions, the local authorities will follow them. “Until we receive any new directives, we are continuing with the standard procedure and issuing notices from the local talathi offices.”
Housing societies are now waiting for clarity on whether the government’s decision to abolish the NA tax will be implemented soon, and whether any further action will be taken on the pending payments.
