Fraudulent SMS to disconnect water connections circulating in Pimpri-Chinchwad

PCMC sends official SMS reminding citizens to pay their pending water tax. However, fraudulent SMS is being sent, stating that water connections will be disconnected on the same day by 9 pm, signed by “Devesh Joshi, municipal corporation officer”

Amidst the action started by Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) to disconnect the water connection of properties with pending water tax, fraudulent SMS to disconnect water connections have started to circulate in Pimpri Chinchwad, said the officials.

PCMC started taking action against property owners who have not paid their water taxes since December (REPRESENTATIVE PHOTO)

PCMC sends official SMS reminding citizens to pay their pending water tax. However, fraudulent SMS is being sent, stating that water connections will be disconnected on the same day by 9 pm, signed by “Devesh Joshi, municipal corporation officer.”

PCMC has advised citizens to ignore such SMS as they are intended to defraud.

Avinash Shinde, assistant commissioner, tax assessment and collection department, PCMC, said, “The municipal corporation’s tax collection department has initiated a campaign for recovering pending water tax. Authorized SMS are sent to citizens from official systems and numbers. At no point are citizens asked to pay water tax via random mobile numbers.”

PCMC started taking action against property owners who have not paid their water taxes since December. So far, the civic body has disconnected 607 water connections due to unpaid water dues and has collected over ₹53 crore in outstanding water tax payments.