MCG cracks down on unpaid property tax; 100s of high-value cases identified

To be sure, under the Haryana Municipal Corporation Act, all owners of buildings and vacant plots within municipal limits are required to pay annual property tax

Published on: May 21, 2025, 06:21:46 IST

By Leena Dhankhar

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The Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) has intensified its crackdown on chronic property tax defaulters, issuing recovery notices to multiple owners with long-standing dues, officials said on Tuesday.

Reinforcing accountability, the corporation urged residents not to involve intermediaries or brokers in property tax matters, stressing transparency and direct engagement through official channels. (Parveen Kumar/HT Photo)

The drive comes amid rising defaults and growing arrears. Officials have compiled lists of the top 100 defaulters in each zone, with a priority focus on properties where outstanding taxes exceed ₹50 lakh.

Despite lowering its FY-25 property tax target to ₹300 crore—down from ₹500 crore the previous year—the civic body managed to collect only ₹240 crore, marking a 5% decline from the ₹254 crore collected in FY-24. According to officials, the shortfall is attributed to incorrect property records, unresolved disputes, and property owners delaying payments in anticipation of rebates.

On Tuesday, Pankaj Kumar, zonal taxation officer of Zone-2, issued recovery notices to 22 such high-value defaulters. MCG confirmed that similar notices are being served across other zones as well, warning of strict action, including sealing and auctioning of properties in case of continued non-compliance.

To be sure, under the Haryana Municipal Corporation Act, all owners of buildings and vacant plots within municipal limits are required to pay annual property tax. The law stipulates an annual interest of 18% on unpaid dues. Persistent defaulters risk property sealing and auction as per statutory provisions, which will begin from the first week of June.

“City development schemes and basic municipal services heavily depend on this revenue source. Stringent measures against chronic defaulters are necessary to ensure the city’s planned growth,” said MCG Commissioner Pradeep Dahiya.

Reinforcing accountability, the corporation urged residents not to involve intermediaries or brokers in property tax matters, stressing transparency and direct engagement through official channels. To assist those unfamiliar with digital processes, help desks have been established at municipal offices. Staff at these desks are required to resolve citizen grievances promptly.

Officials said that zonal taxation officers have been instructed to act immediately on complaints. Employees in the tax department have been explicitly directed not to delay, reject, or revert applications without valid cause. Any such misconduct will lead to departmental proceedings, they added.

According to officials, since April 1, 2015, the MCG has received 11,159 objections related to property tax assessments. Of these, 7,622 were resolved within the designated timeframe, 554 were rejected due to incomplete documentation, and 1,700 were reverted to applicants for corrections. Only 1,283 cases remain pending as of now, they added.

The MCG has also called on citizens to report any illegal payment demands to the commissioner or additional commissioner, assuring immediate legal action against offenders. Officials said that citizens are advised to handle tax-related matters personally or through authorised MCG portals to avoid fraud.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Leena Dhankhar
Leena Dhankhar is Senior Editor and Bureau Chief, Gurugram, at Hindustan Times, where she has spent over 17 years chronicling the transformation of one of India's fastest-growing urban regions. From starting her career as a crime reporter to leading the Gurugram bureau, her journalism has been defined by investigative reporting, in-depth storytelling and an unwavering focus on public interest. Over nearly two decades, she has reported extensively across crime, politics, civic governance, elections, real estate, environment, courts, sports, education and entertainment, covering Gurugram, Faridabad, Nuh and Palwal. Her reporting has exposed several major scams and systemic failures, including insurance frauds, waste management irregularities, illegal arms manufacturing units in Nuh, illegal mining in the Aravallis, organised crime networks and governance lapses affecting millions of residents. Known for her investigative work and exclusive stories, Leena has reported on high-impact national issues, including the Nicaragua charter flight carrying Indian migrants that was turned back amid allegations of human trafficking, exposing the growing network of illegal immigration rackets. Her work has also focused on gang wars, prison administration, juvenile crime, women and child protection systems, the functioning of the Juvenile Justice Board and Child Welfare Committee, and environmental challenges such as pollution, waterlogging and deteriorating civic infrastructure. Beyond hard news, Leena has extensively documented Haryana's rich heritage, forests and wildlife, bringing attention to the state's historical landmarks, biodiversity, conservation efforts and ecological challenges through immersive reportage and feature writing. Her journalism has consistently gone beyond breaking news. She has documented Gurugram's rapid urbanisation through long-form narratives and enterprise reporting on issues ranging from pothole-ridden roads, flooding and waste management to the changing social fabric of India's Millennium City. She also writes widely read feature columns, including The Outsider, Changemaker, and Concern for Gurugram, profiling people, places and ideas shaping the city's identity. Leena is the author of Gurugram School Murder, published by Juggernaut Books, a deeply reported account of one of India's most high-profile school murder investigations. She is currently working on her second book, an investigative work exploring some of India's most significant scams and fraud investigations. Beyond print journalism, she has expanded her storytelling through public speaking and digital media. She is a TEDx speaker and has produced podcasts exploring Gurugram's transformation, civic challenges and untold stories. Her work reflects a commitment to narrative journalism that combines rigorous reporting with compelling storytelling. A law graduate with an MBA in Human Resources, Leena brings a multidisciplinary perspective to her reporting, particularly on governance, public policy and legal affairs. She has travelled extensively across India to pursue investigative assignments, often reporting from remote locations and conflict-prone areas in search of stories that matter.Read More

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