Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has taken strict action against Sinhgad Institute for failing to clear long-standing property tax dues despite repeated notices. On Tuesday (March 11), PMC officials seized a total of 49 properties belonging to the institute in Wadgaon Budruk and Kondhwa Budruk. The seized properties include offices, college buildings, and other assets, with unpaid dues amounting to ₹266 crore.
Sinhgad Institute owns several educational institutions and offices in Pune, including campuses in Ambegaon Budruk, Kondhwa Budruk, and Erandwane. According to PMC records, the institute's total outstanding property tax across these locations has reached ₹345 crore. Despite receiving multiple notices from the municipal corporation’s property tax department, the institute failed to settle the dues.
Previous Action by the PMC
In December last year, the PMC had seized Sinhgad Institute’s main office in Erandwane over unpaid dues of ₹47.43 crore. After the institute did not clear the dues even after the seizure, the corporation initiated the process of auctioning the Erandwane property.
Latest Seizure of Properties
As part of the ongoing tax recovery drive, PMC officials carried out fresh seizures on Tuesday. They seized 43 properties in Wadgaon Budruk, where the unpaid tax amounts to ₹198.61 crore. Additionally, six properties in Kondhwa Budruk were taken over, with outstanding dues of ₹20.50 crore. With this latest action, the total unpaid dues linked to the institute’s properties in Erandwane, Wadgaon Budruk, and Kondhwa Budruk have crossed ₹266 crore.
Legal and Operational Considerations
PMC officials noted that while several other properties owned by Sinhgad Institute also have pending dues, some of them are currently being used for educational purposes, including colleges and schools. Additionally, legal proceedings are ongoing for some properties, which has prevented their immediate seizure.
Speaking about the action taken against Sinhgad Institute, Madhav Jagtap, Deputy Commissioner of PMC’s Property Tax Department, stated: "Sinhgad Institute has been defaulting on property tax for many years. Despite repeated notices, they have not made the payments. Previously, we seized their main office in Erandwane. Now, we have carried out a similar action at their Wadgaon Budruk and Kondhwa Budruk properties."