Of 1057 attached properties, 567 owners settled dues; civic chief to give final nod on auction
Civic officials greet taxpayers with roses in Pune’s Moshi area
The Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) is likely to extend the auction deadline for 490 properties after 72 defaulters cleared their dues—either fully or partially—over the past two days, while others requested more time. These properties had nearly R15 crore in pending dues.
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Avinash Shinde, Assistant Commissioner of PCMC’s Property Tax Department told mid-day, “The civic body had earlier issued a final notice to property tax defaulters, stating that 490 seized non-residential, industrial, and mixed-use properties would be auctioned on March 31 unless dues were partially cleared. In response, many defaulters came forward to make partial payments.”
He noted that the highest outstanding amount of R1.58 crore was owed by Sai Prasad Group. However, its properties are under the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI). “After PCMC published the auction notification in newspapers, SEBI sent us a letter regarding these properties and sought suggestions and objections. Additionally, some properties are in the custody of banks,” Shinde said.
PCMC has been enforcing strict recovery measures since December 2024 against defaulters with outstanding property tax. Initially, 1057 non-residential, industrial, and mixed-use properties were attached. Of these, 567 owners cleared their dues in full, leading to the release of their properties. A public notice listing the remaining 490 properties was published in leading newspapers on March 20. By March 30, 35 defaulters had paid R99.56 crore, while 37 owners cleared 50 per cent of their dues, exempting their properties from auction.
On March 31, several defaulters appealed for more time to pay at least 50 per cent of their dues to avoid auction. “We had earlier announced that property owners with dues exceeding R2 lakh must pay half their outstanding amount by March 31 to prevent their properties from being auctioned,” Shinde said.
Civic officials stated that a final decision on extending the deadline would be made after discussions with the civic chief on March 31. If certain properties do not attract bidders, PCMC plans to acquire them through a nominal bid under the Maharashtra Municipal Corporations Act.
Providing further details, officials confirmed that PCMC has attached 1057 non-residential, industrial, commercial, and mixed-use properties, with R26 crore in pending dues. So far, R11 crore has been recovered from 567 defaulters, while R15 crore remains unpaid from the 490 properties scheduled for auction. Additionally, PCMC is in the final stages of seizing more properties with R69 crore in outstanding tax.
With the financial year ending on Monday, revenue recovery efforts have intensified. The Moshi area saw a rush of taxpayers at the civic body’s office, where officials greeted them with roses. To accommodate last-minute payments, PCMC kept all 18 divisional tax offices and cash counters open from 9.45 am to midnight until March 31.
Municipal Commissioner and Administrator Shekhar Singh said, “PCMC has already recovered nearly R11 crore through property attachments, but R15 crore is still pending from 490 property owners. We urge defaulters to clear their dues before March 31 to avoid further action.”
PCMC wins state award for excellence in property tax collection
The Maharashtra state government has honoured the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) with the first prize in the Rajiv Gandhi Administrative Efficiency Campaign for its outstanding property tax collection efforts. The award includes a cash prize of R10 lakh.
Property tax is PCMC’s primary revenue source, and the civic body has implemented several initiatives to improve collection. These include identifying previously untaxed properties, introducing online payment options, seizing and auctioning properties with unpaid dues, geo-sequencing properties, and assigning unique identification numbers. These measures have significantly boosted revenue.
PCMC had submitted a detailed proposal to the state government’s Rajiv Gandhi Administrative Efficiency (Pragati) Campaign competition. After a state-level evaluation, the committee acknowledged PCMC’s innovative tax collection strategies, leading to the award.
Avinash Shinde, head of PCMC’s property tax department, said, “This recognition motivates us to enhance our efforts further.” As a result of these measures, PCMC’s revenue has risen sharply: R628 crore in 2021-22, R816 crore in 2022-23, and Rs 977 crore in 2023-24. Former Assistant Commissioner Nilesh Deshmukh, instrumental in implementing these initiatives, was also honoured with a second-rank award and R30,000 in the officer category.
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