Pune: Relief For Newly Included Villages In PMC As Maharashtra Government Decides Not To Double Property Tax

Pune, 22nd November 2023: In a significant development, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde chaired a meeting where it was decided not to double the property tax for villages included in the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC). The decision aims to alleviate the tax burden on citizens of the included villages, which were proposed to be excluded from the Pune Municipal Corporation and form their municipal councils.

Former Maharashtra Minister of Water Resources Vijay Shivtare announced this decision in a press conference, highlighting the government’s commitment to easing the financial impact on residents.

Key Decisions and Background:
1. Tax Policy Adjustment: The decision not to double the income of the included villages from the basic property tax was made during the meeting chaired by Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. The urban development department has been instructed to formulate a policy in this regard.

2. Legal Challenge: Last year, the Maharashtra state government proposed the exclusion of Phursungi and Uruli Devachi villages in PMC, intending to establish their municipal councils. However, this decision faced legal challenges in the High Court, leading to a temporary halt in passing the final order.

3. Penalty for Illegal Constructions: The meeting addressed the issue of three times penalty imposition for the regularization of old constructions during the villages’ incorporation, which is deemed illegal. A policy decision is required to determine penalties for regularizing such constructions.

4. Municipal Services: It was decided that PMC should provide essential services to Uruli Devachi and Phursungi villages.

Challenges in the Included Villages:
1. Infrastructure Delays: Despite being incorporated into PMC in 1997 and subsequently in 2017 and 2021, infrastructure development, specifically the completion of Development Plan (DP) roads, has faced delays in the included villages.

2. Water Supply Concerns: The issue of drinking water scarcity remains a significant challenge in the region. Allegedly, municipal civic facilities are not provided in sufficient quantity.

Despite legal challenges and a stay on ward formation by the Supreme Court of India, Vijay Shivtare reiterated that the municipal council for Uruli Devachi and Phursungi will be established once the moratorium is lifted.