E-Paper
PCMC to take help of housing societies to recover property tax dues
PCMC property tax assessment and collection department has decided to take the help of housing societies to recover tax dues, said officials on Friday
PUNE The property tax assessment and collection department of Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) has decided to take the help of housing societies to recover tax dues, said officials on Friday.
PCMC has appointed a private firm, M/s Stapathya Consultant Pvt. Ltd, to register unassessed properties and conduct tax assessments. The firm has initiated a comprehensive survey of properties in the twin city of Pimpri Chinchwad. As part of this survey, 64,260 properties have been newly assessed, and property tax bills have been issued to them.
Of the total, 56,232 properties from 690 societies were newly assessed, and property tax bills were issued. Of these, 651 societies have 36,980 property owners with outstanding dues amounting to ₹69.56 crore. The tax collection department has repeatedly requested these defaulters to pay their taxes through SMS and tele-calling. However, there has been a poor response.
The civic body will now send details about defaulters in the societies to their respective society chairpersons. The information will include the names of defaulters and the outstanding amounts. The chairpersons will be advised to post this list on society notice boards, share it in society WhatsApp groups, and urge defaulting members to pay their dues
Avinash Shinde, assistant commissioner, tax assessment and collection department, PCMC, said, “The recent property survey by the tax collection department has revealed ₹69.56 crore in outstanding dues from newly assessed properties in housing societies.”
“The department will send a list of defaulters along with the outstanding amounts to the chairpersons of these societies. We urge the society chairman to post these lists in prominent locations, including notice boards and society WhatsApp groups, and encourage members with pending dues to make immediate payments through the online system,” he said.
Pradeep Jambhale Patil, additional commissioner, PCMC, said, “Repeated requests have been made through various mediums for newly assessed property owners to pay their dues. However, lists of defaulters from these societies will now be sent to their respective society chairpersons. The chairpersons are expected to appeal to defaulters in their societies to make immediate payments and cooperate with the tax department.”
Opposing the decision, Sanjeevan Sangale, chairman of Chikhali Moshi Pimpri-Chinchwad Housing Societies Federation (CMPCHSF), said, people should pay the property tax dues, but the housing society committee have no role in this.
“We oppose the decision; the society committee is to run the society and not do work on behalf of PCMC. The PCMC has a staff of over 11k people and still a third-party agency was appointed to distribute the tax bills. The civic body wasted public funds by appointing a third party,” he said.
Advocate Rohit Erande said it’s known fact that people don’t pay property taxes on time and corporations cannot take court action. “Tax dues are important for the civic body and have to be collected. The language used by the civic body to communicate with the housing society to inform about society members pending dues is important. The language used should not defame the person but should be informative. However, this won’t affect a property holders’ right even if others will come to know that he or she is yet to pay the property taxes.”
