Pune: Amid allegations of selective enforcement in property tax recovery, the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has made public a list of its top 100 property tax defaulters. The combined outstanding amount from these defaulters stands at ₹334.10 crore, with the highest single defaulter owing ₹18.44 crore.
In an effort to improve revenue collection, PMC had directed the property tax department to intensify recovery actions. This has led to stringent measures such as playing drums outside the properties of defaulters, sealing their premises, and confiscating assets. The crackdown, which has been ongoing for the past two months, has caused widespread concern among those with outstanding dues.
Crackdown on Defaulters Intensifies
To speed up collections, property tax inspectors have been assigned specific targets, with each inspector visiting up to 300 properties daily. The publication of the defaulters' list comes amid criticism that enforcement was disproportionately targeting small businesses. By releasing the names of major defaulters, PMC aims to demonstrate a fair and transparent approach to tax collection.
According to the list, the highest defaulter owes ₹18.44 crore, while the 100th on the list has dues of ₹1.36 crore. The municipal administration is actively pursuing legal and administrative measures to recover the outstanding amounts.
Government Institutions Account for ₹93 Crore in Pending Taxes
Alongside the list of private defaulters, PMC has also disclosed tax dues from government institutions. A total of 438 state and central government-affiliated institutions have unpaid property taxes amounting to ₹93 crore.
The Industrial Safety and Health (ISH) department tops the list with outstanding dues of ₹23.21 crore. Interestingly, 10 government properties have unpaid taxes of less than ₹1,000. The PMC has urged all institutions, including government bodies, to clear their dues at the earliest to avoid further action.
