Maha govt to waive off penalty for illegal bldgs in Pimpri, Chinchwad
Deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis made the announcement in the ongoing assembly session, and said that the government will ensure that these illegal structures are regularised by respecting the court’s directives
The Maharashtra government on Wednesday announced that it will waive off the penalty (fine) on unauthorised structures within the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC). Deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis made the announcement in the ongoing assembly session, and said that the government will ensure that these illegal structures are regularised by respecting the court’s directives. Fadnavis was responding to PCMC legislator Mahesh Landge who raised the issue of penalty during the assembly session, saying that since it is three times the original property tax, citizens are not even paying the property tax. “On the one hand, the civic body is giving all the facilities but it is also losing revenue on the other hand,” Landge said, urging opposition leader Ajit Pawar and MLAs Manda Mhatre and Kishor Jorgewar to participate in the discussion.
Responding to Landge during the assembly session, Fadnavis said, “The state government is planning to introduce a scheme to regularise the illegal homes in Pimpri-Chinchwad while respecting the court’s order. But the Maharashtra government will instruct waiving off 100% of the fine amount for homes measuring less than 1,000 square feet; 50% of the fine amount for homes measuring between 1,000 and 2,000 square feet; and only double and not three times the tax amount for homes measuring over 2,000 square feet.”
According to a survey conducted by the PCMC, there are more than 90,000 such illegal properties/homes within its jurisdiction and as all these homes are using civic amenities such as roads, water, drainage and garbage management, the civic body is imposing a fine of three times the original tax amount. As the fine amount is more than the tax amount, citizens are not paying the taxes. Fadnavis said, “As the cases are pending in court, until such time the court issues order, the municipal corporation will be instructed only to collect regular tax. While erecting these homes, there was a violation of the development control rules. The state government will ensure that these homes are regularised by respecting the court’s order.” Fadnavis also instructed the PCMC to carry out satellite mapping of the district to avoid illegal constructions in future.
Whereas Sunil Tingre, Wadgaon Sheri MLA and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader, demanded a similar waiver within the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) limits.
