BJP scales back poll promise; property tax relief limited to women-owned homes

Standing Committee chairman Shrinath Bhimale, while presenting the 2026–27 budget, said the move is aimed at promoting women’s ownership of property

In a departure from its poll promise of a blanket property tax waiver for small homes, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-dominated Standing Committee on Tuesday announced a limited concession, restricting the benefit to women property owners and capping it at a 50% rebate.

(From left) Nilesh Nikam opposition leader, deputy Mayor Parshuram Wadekar, standing committee chairman Shreenath Bhimale, Mayor Manjusha Nagpure, leader of house Ganesh Bidkar and Municipal commissioner Naval Kishore Ram. (HT)

Standing Committee chairman Shrinath Bhimale, while presenting the 2026–27 budget, said the move is aimed at promoting women’s ownership of property. “The PMC has decided to offer a 50% discount in property tax for houses below 500 sq ft owned by women,” he said.

However, the proposal marks a clear dilution of commitments made by major political parties, including the BJP, during the municipal elections, when a full waiver for small residential units was promised.

There is also ambiguity over the eligibility cut-off. The budget document states that properties registered in the name of women until March 31, 2026, will qualify, while Bhimale, in his speech, indicated the deadline could be extended to March 31, 2027.

Defending the rollback, Bhimale said a complete waiver would have significantly impacted the Pune Municipal Corporation’s (PMC) finances. “Property tax is the primary source of revenue. A blanket waiver is not financially viable,” he said, indicating that the civic body has opted for a targeted relief instead.

The administration had earlier opposed the idea of a waiver. Municipal commissioner Naval Kishore Ram had stated that the civic body was not in favour of such a move, citing its heavy dependence on property tax collections to fund civic services and infrastructure projects.

Sources within the BJP said the final contours of the scheme may be narrower than announced. There are internal discussions on limiting the benefit to specific categories of women, such as single or widowed owners, though no official decision has been taken yet.

Leader of the House Ganesh Bidkar said the policy framework is still being worked out. “The chairman has announced in the budget. The administration will now draft the rules and finalise the eligibility criteria,” he said.

Civic officials said the move reflects the tightrope the PMC is walking, balancing political commitments with fiscal constraints, especially at a time when the corporation is looking to increase spending on infrastructure and services in newly merged areas.