Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) is resuming its property tax recovery drive after setbacks caused by this year’s Lok Sabha and Assembly elections.
With the election code of conduct no longer in place, the PMC is set to enforce strict measures starting December 1, including sealing properties and deploying band squads to recover overdue property taxes.
The property tax department has been tasked with a collection target of ₹2,728 crore for the 2024-25 fiscal year. However, as of November-end, only ₹1,775 crore has been collected, leaving a gap of approximately ₹950 crore to be recovered by the March 31 deadline.
Aggressive Recovery Measures Initiated
The PMC has begun sealing properties of tax defaulters. In just two days, ten properties have been sealed. Currently, the city’s pending property tax dues exceed ₹10,000 crore.
To address this, five teams have been deployed to recover dues that are not under legal dispute. Starting next week, five band squads will also be mobilized to publicize defaulters’ non-compliance, a tactic that has been successful in the past.
Election duties and staff transfers disrupted tax recovery efforts earlier this year.
From March to June, many PMC employees were involved in Lok Sabha election work, followed by Assembly election duties for newly transferred staff. This shortage of personnel has significantly impacted the pace of property tax recovery.
Despite these challenges, the municipal corporation is determined to meet its fiscal targets and recover the pending dues through aggressive measures and innovative campaigns.
