The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) is cracking down on property tax defaulters by disconnecting water supply starting January 1. With over ₹10,000 crore in arrears and 3.5 lakh defaulters, the PMC is taking drastic measures to recover unpaid taxes.
Despite setting a collection target of ₹2,727 crore for the financial year 2024-25, the PMC has only managed to collect ₹1,900 crore so far. A special recovery campaign initiated on December 2 has led to the sealing of properties through a “Band Pathak” operation, resulting in ₹71.41 crore in tax payments. However, many property owners are still not paying up, citing various excuses.
To ensure tax recovery, the PMC has deployed five action teams across the city’s five zones to disconnect water supply for defaulters. Madhav Jagtap, Deputy Commissioner of the Tax Collection Department, has emphasized that water supply will be cut off immediately and will only be restored once all dues are cleared.
The collection of taxes in the newly merged villages of Pune has faced challenges, with objections from villagers leading to a halt in tax collection. This has resulted in a shortfall of ₹300 to ₹400 crore, impacting the PMC’s financial targets. While the state government has yet to decide on resuming tax collection in these villages, the PMC is intensifying its efforts in other areas by sealing properties and disconnecting water supplies.
Thanks For Reading Report of Punepress.com