Record ₹126 cr property tax collection by PMC in three months

The civic body has in its annual budget targeted ₹275 cr property tax collection this financial year. While almost half of that target being already achieved, the civic body is going all out to recover the arrears of ₹1400 cr due for the past five years

PANVEL Even as there is opposition to the property tax levied by Panvel Municipal Corporation (PMC) from various quarters, the civic body has reported a record ₹126 cr collection of the tax within just three months of the current financial year.

Record ₹126 cr property tax collection by PMC in three months

The civic body has in its annual budget targeted ₹275 cr property tax collection this financial year. While almost half of that target being already achieved, the civic body is going all out to recover the arrears of ₹1400 cr due for the past five years.

Petitions have been filed in the court challenging the rate and manner in which the tax is being collected by the civic body. The civic body has however been aggressively going all out through various means of creating awareness, offering incentives and even penalizing and threatening seizure of properties.

Municipal commissioner Ganesh Deshmukh who has stressed on the importance of the tax for development of the region, has taken a number of measures to boost the recovery. He has formed special teams for the civic jurisdiction with 2 teams each for Kharghar, Kamothe, Navade, Kalamboli and 1 each for Panvel and New Panvel. Every team has six members including a civic personnel, 2 retired officials, a security guard and cameraman. The civic body is also creating public awareness on the issue through announcements using loudspeakers mounted on autorickshaws that make rounds of the region.

With the civic body levying 2 per cent penalty on non-payment of the tax, an increasing number of residents are opting to make the payments to avoid increased payments.

To make payment of the tax easier, PMC has developed `PMC Tax App’ for online payment of the tax which can also be paid through the civic body’s website panvelmc.org

Explained Deshmukh, “There is no stay on the recovery of property tax by the High Court. We are informing the residents that they should not fall for any misinformation. They are being warned that default in payment will prevent sale or transfer of their properties. There is also a possibility of seizure of their immovable and movable properties.”

He added, “We appeal to the citizens to pay their property tax dues at the earliest. It is a major source of revenue for us to undertake various civic works. By paying their taxes, residents become partners in the development of the city.”

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PMC felicitates big tax payers – Corporates and housing societies

PMC is feliciting big taxpayers of the industrial and corporate world and also housing societies to encourage others to come forward and clear their dues.

With Bharat Petroleum at Kharghar paying property tax of ₹1.11 crore, PMC has felicitated the company officials. Deputy municipal commissioner Ganesh Shete thanked him by giving a bouquet.

Said Shete, “Several industrial establishments and housing societies from all over the region are coming forward to pay their dues.”

He informed, “These include Bharat Petroleum, Tata Steel, Central Oil, G&T Oil State Industries, Sakal Papers, Dharkar N Sundarlal & Company. Among the housing societies Bhumi Gardenia Co-op Housing Society, Jewel Ekwira, Goodwill Paradise, Pyle Heights Co-operative Housing Society. Galaxy Co-operative Housing Society, Nisarga Arcade Co-operative Housing Society have responded to our appeals and paid property tax running into lakhs of rupees.”