Pune, 20th May 2026: A large-scale drone-based survey has revealed widespread property tax evasion across Pune, exposing thousands of unregistered or under-assessed properties that may have caused massive losses to the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC).
According to civic officials, more than four lakh properties in Pune are either not registered for property tax or have undergone changes in usage without updating official records. PMC believes proper assessment of these properties could generate more than ₹1,000 crore in additional annual revenue.
The issue came to light through a 3D Twin Drone Survey conducted by MahaPreit under the city’s disaster management initiative. Using drones and vehicle-mounted scanning systems, the agency mapped roads, buildings, and property structures across Pune. The digital survey also compared existing tax records with actual on-ground construction data, making it easier to identify properties escaping taxation.
Officials said the technology allows authorities to instantly access complete details of any property, including whether tax has been imposed or not. Civic officials believe the system could significantly improve transparency and reduce revenue leakage.
In a pilot exercise, MahaPreit submitted files related to nearly 90 properties that were either unregistered or incorrectly assessed. Of these, 78 properties alone are expected to generate around ₹55 crore in tax recovery, while another 12 properties may add nearly ₹20 crore more.
The highest potential recovery has been identified in areas under the Ghole Road-Shivajinagar, Dhole Patil Road, and Nagar Road-Wadgaon Sheri ward offices. Several commercial and high-value residential properties were reportedly found outside the tax network despite active use.
PMC officials said the current system depends heavily on property owners or developers voluntarily applying for tax assessment after receiving completion certificates. Since the process involves physical inspections and paperwork, many properties remain outside the system for years.
Deputy Commissioner of the Property Tax Department Ravi Pawar said the drone survey could greatly benefit the city, but MahaPreit’s demand for 30 percent of the recovered revenue as service charges made the proposal financially unviable. He added that discussions would be held with senior officials to negotiate lower rates.
Administrative sources said PMC is considering an alternative arrangement in which the private company that carried out the survey could directly be paid around 9 percent instead of the 30 percent demanded by MahaPreit. However, no final decision has been taken and the proposal remains pending.
According to the survey data, the Dhole Patil Road ward recorded eight unregistered properties with an estimated recovery of over ₹14 crore, while the Ghole Road-Shivajinagar zone showed 24 such properties worth more than ₹17 crore in possible tax collection.
Significant recoveries were also identified in Aundh-Baner, Yerawada, Hadapsar, and Nagar Road-Wadgaon Sheri areas.
