Pune, 12 December 2025: The Pune Municipal Corporation’s (PMC) ongoing Abhay Scheme, launched to recover long-pending property tax dues, has recorded a slow start. Nearly a month after its rollout, the administration has collected just ₹157 crore, raising concerns about whether the scheme can achieve its target before it ends on 15 January.
PMC’s annual budget has crossed ₹12,000 crore, but the civic body continues to face shortages in funds for capital works such as land acquisition for road development, sewage projects, water supply upgrades, new parks, hospitals, and schools.
With salaries and maintenance consuming a major share of revenue, property tax is one of the most significant sources for development funds.
Despite regular measures such as sealing properties, issuing warrants, and conducting auctions, PMC recovers only ₹100–150 crore annually through enforcement. Property tax arrears have now reached ₹13,000 crore, of which around ₹3,000 crore is stuck in court cases. Most other defaulters have shown little interest in clearing dues.
To address this, PMC introduced the Abhay Scheme between 15 November and 15 January, offering 75% waiver on interest to encourage payments. However, the initial public response remained poor.
PMC has conducted similar schemes four times earlier, collectively generating ₹630 crore. Initially, the administration decided that those who had already benefited earlier would not get another waiver. But with participation remaining low, PMC reversed this rule and now allows previous beneficiaries to apply again.
The scheme was originally planned under former Additional Commissioner Avinash Sarpakale, but he was transferred just before launch and replaced by Ravi Pawar, who also handles the crucial task of revising voter lists. With over 22,000 objections filed regarding the city’s electoral rolls, Pawar faces the dual challenge of managing election duties and driving aggressive recovery under the scheme.
Municipal Commissioner Naval Kishore Ram has set a target of at least ₹600 crore for the current scheme. With the first month bringing in less than ₹200 crore, and PMC staff now tied up with election-related work, officials question whether the civic body can meet this target in time.
Commissioner Ram said the low recovery in the first month is worrying and instructed officials to intensify efforts. He added that strict action will be taken against defaulters once the scheme ends, and urged property owners to pay their dues immediately.