Pune: PCMC Seizes Properties of 68 Tax Defaulters, Urges Immediate Payment

Pimpri, 8th October 2023: In a bid to recover overdue taxes, the Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) has initiated property seizures, causing concern among property owners. The Taxation and Tax Collection Department of the PCMC recently confiscated the properties of 68 individuals who had consistently neglected to pay their taxes despite repeated appeals. This move has prompted other defaulters to pay their dues promptly, with 62 individuals settling their arrears upon the arrival of the confiscation team.

The PCMC’s Taxation and Tax Collection Department have issued a stern appeal to defaulters to clear their outstanding taxes immediately to prevent further property seizures.

The city boasts a total of 6,07,000 registered properties, encompassing residential, industrial, non-residential, mixed, and vacant land categories. The Taxation and Tax Collection Department is responsible for collecting taxes from property owners.

Last year, the department undertook various initiatives to enhance tax collection, including public awareness campaigns, confiscation drives, notices to property owners, tap connection closures, and publishing lists of defaulters in newspapers. This year, the department has distributed bills through women’s self-help groups, raised public awareness using rickshaws and hoardings at key intersections, conducted social media competitions, and implemented customized SMS notifications to remind individuals of their property tax obligations.

As a result of these efforts, the tax collection in the first half of the financial year 2023-24 amounted to Rs 585 crore. Starting from October 1, a late fee of two per cent has been imposed on property owners who have failed to pay their taxes despite repeated appeals, intensifying the campaign to seize properties of defaulters.

Since the commencement of the financial year 2023-24, the Taxation and Tax Collection Department has issued seizure notices to 41,307 individuals and seizure letters to 36,719 property holders, totalling tax arrears of Rs 671 crore. Non-residential and vacant properties are now subject to confiscation for those who remain non-compliant even after receiving notices.

Seizure operations began on October 3, with 2,184 property owners receiving seizure warrants. Among them, 1,948 properties are eligible for seizure enforcement, with 68 properties already seized. In response to the seizures, 62 individuals promptly remitted a total of Rs 87,37,000 in cash or checks, and six properties have been sealed.

To enhance the effectiveness of the seizure campaign, advertisements will be published on YouTube for the targeted audience, and rickshaw pullers will be carry out certain campaigns through jingles and posters placed on their vehicles. Informative and satirical advertisements will run for three consecutive months, and pamphlets will be distributed to raise awareness.

The PCMC’s Taxation and Tax Collection Department also plans to engage with citizens through a WhatsApp channel, disseminating information about various discount schemes, public awareness, and updates on defaulters.

Assistant Commissioner Nilesh Deshmukh emphasized the department’s commitment to leveraging social media to reach as many citizens as possible in their efforts to recover overdue taxes.