Pune: PMC to Seize Properties Over Tax Arrears; Sets Rs 10 Crore Daily Collection Target
Pune, 31st January 2025: The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has intensified its crackdown on property tax defaulters, launching confiscation proceedings against properties with outstanding dues. To meet budgetary targets, officials have been directed to collect at least ₹10 crore per day. However, the State Government’s recent suspension of tax and penalty collection from newly included villages poses a challenge to revenue generation.
A high-level meeting of senior officers and inspectors from the Taxation and Tax Collection Department was held at the PMC headquarters on Thursday. Deputy Commissioner Madhav Jagtap instructed officials to accelerate tax recovery efforts.
For the financial year 2024-25, the department had set a ₹2,800 crore revenue target from property tax collections, primarily from 34 newly included villages. So far, ₹2,000 crore has been collected, leaving just two months to recover the remaining amount. To achieve this, each officer has been ordered to take action against at least 10 tax-defaulting properties daily, including confiscation and auctioning if necessary.
The State Government’s decision to grant a moratorium on property tax collection from these villages has further complicated revenue recovery. While some residents are voluntarily paying their taxes, mounting arrears from commercial properties remain a major concern. Despite these hurdles, the Property Tax Department is determined to recover ₹600 crore in the next 60 days. As part of this effort, all employee leaves have been canceled.
In a major move, Sinhagad Educational Institute, which owes approximately ₹18 crore in property tax, has come under the PMC’s radar. The municipal body had sealed its office two months ago, but the institution has yet to clear its dues. Consequently, the PMC is now preparing to auction the institution’s assets to recover the pending amount.
With property tax arrears escalating, the PMC is under pressure to meet its financial targets, making strict enforcement measures inevitable in the coming weeks.
