Pune: In an aggressive move to recover pending property taxes, the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has taken action against defaulting property owners by locking approximately 2,500 properties. Out of these, around 2,000 properties are slated for auction to recover dues. The auction process has already been initiated by the civic administration and is expected to commence next month.

Target and Recovery Challenges

The PMC Property Tax Department has been tasked with collecting ₹2,700 crore as part of the municipal budget. To date, ₹1,850 crore has been recovered, leaving an additional ₹850 crore to be collected within the remaining three months of the financial year.

However, the suspension of property tax collection in 32 newly incorporated villages has further added to the challenges, resulting in an estimated revenue loss of ₹300 crore.

Innovative Recovery Drive

To expedite the recovery process, the PMC launched a unique drive on December 2, involving drumbeat announcements to alert defaulters and encourage payment. This drive has already resulted in the collection of ₹52.25 crore from 449 property owners.

Lock and Auction Process

As part of the intensified campaign, the PMC has locked 2,500 properties belonging to defaulters. Owners of these properties have been warned that failure to settle their dues will lead to auctions. The valuation of these properties is currently in progress.

Madhav Jagtap, Deputy Commissioner of the Property Tax Department, stated, "The assessment process for the properties has begun, and auctions are likely to be conducted next month to recover pending dues."