Pune: Over 75,000 Property Owners in Pimpri Chinchwad Default on Taxes, Total Dues Exceed Rs 700 Crore

Varad Bhatkhande

Pimpri Chinchwad, 27th April 2024: Following the successful decision to distribute property tax bills through the Women’s Self-Help Group last year by the Taxation and Tax Collection Department of the Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC), the distribution of bills has commenced through the Women’s Self-Help Group for the financial year 2024-25 as well. Additionally, PCMC has issued an appeal urging citizens to verify the mobile numbers linked to their properties through OTP.

With a total of around 6 Lakh 25 Thousand registered properties in Pimpri-Chinchwad city, approximately 6,25,000 bills have been printed and distribution has commenced accordingly. Notably, this year marks the first time UPIC IDs have been printed on the bills. These IDs are provided for properties that have undergone geo-sequencing in the ongoing PCMC survey. The UPIC ID serves as a convenient identifier and will be assigned to all properties starting next year. This initiative aims to streamline PCMC services for citizens in the future.

All services and facilities provided by the PCMC’s Taxation and Tax Collection Department have been made available online since last year. Offline applications are no longer accepted, emphasizing the importance of property owners having a mobile number linked to their property. To facilitate this, the Siddhi app has been provided to property holders, enabling them to verify their mobile numbers through OTP.

When women from the Women’s Self-Help Group visit citizens to collect bills, they will request the OTP to verify the mobile numbers linked to the properties. It is crucial for citizens to cooperate by providing the OTP, as services cannot be accessed without a linked mobile number. Therefore, property owners who have not yet provided their mobile numbers are urged to do so promptly. This step is vital for preserving the data privacy of PCMC asset holders.

Additionally, it has been observed that as of March 31, 2023, 75,858 property owners in the city owe more than ten thousand rupees, with an outstanding balance totaling Rs 717 crore 32 lakh. Pre-seizure notices are being issued to these defaulters along with their bills, emphasizing the importance of addressing outstanding dues.

The highest number of defaulters are in the Chikhali zone, with 10,209 defaulters, followed by 7,772 in Thergaon and 6,915 in Wakad. Conversely, the zone with the fewest defaulters is Talawade, with only 1,694 defaulters.

In addition to tax collection, the Taxation and Tax Collection Department has also contributed to voter awareness efforts. PCMC jurisdiction comprises three Lok Sabha constituencies: Maval, Shirur, and Baramati. Voting will take place in Baramati on 7th May and in Maval and Shirur on 13th May. To boost voter turnout, the district election office collaborated with the Taxation and Tax Collection Department to distribute property tax bills. Additionally, they provided voting awareness pamphlets to further encourage participation in the upcoming elections.