Deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar on Wednesday instructed officials of Pune Municipal Corporation during a meeting with Urban Development Department to bring down the property tax of recently merged 34 villages. Residents have alleged that PMC is charging exorbitant property tax from merged areas even as these localities lack some of the basic amenities.
During the meeting, Pawar asked PMC to levy property tax from citizens in the 34 recently merged villages equal to double the amount of tax previously collected by gram panchayats. The villages were merged in PMC during the last five years.
The move offers major relief to more than 10 lakh people as the civic body had sent between three to 10 times the property tax bills to residents after the merger of these areas.
“It is unfair to levy income tax three times to ten times the income tax of the previous village panchayat on the resident and non-resident income of 34 villages recently included in Pune Municipal Corporation and it is not possible for residents to pay this tax. Keeping this in mind, steps should be taken so that income tax of PMC is not more than double of the previous gram panchayat tax. In this regard, instructions were given in a meeting held today with the Urban Development Secretary that the action to amend the law should be started immediately,” said Ajit Pawar in a post on X.
However, civic officials said it may take a long process as the state government will need to make amendment in the law. A municipal officer on condition of anonymity said, “It will be a long process as the model code of conduct is likely to be in place this week. Later, the government will need to amend the law. We have to also see if such an amendment can be made for specific areas.”
{{/usCountry}}However, civic officials said it may take a long process as the state government will need to make amendment in the law. A municipal officer on condition of anonymity said, “It will be a long process as the model code of conduct is likely to be in place this week. Later, the government will need to amend the law. We have to also see if such an amendment can be made for specific areas.”
{{/usCountry}}Pawar’s move is also seen with political subtext as many of these 34 villages fall either under Baramati or Shirur Lok Sabha constituency. The tax soap may benefit his Nationalist Congress Party in these two constituencies.
According to residents from merged areas, they have received high property tax with no head start to development. PMC has served property tax bills demanding revenue far higher than those compared to old parts of the city, which has better roads, and other amenities.
Merged villages
Mhalunge, Sus, Kirkatwadi, Pisoli, Kondhwe-Dhawade, Kopre, Nanded, Khadakwasla, Mundhwa, Manjari, Narhe, Mantarwadi, Holkarwadi, Handewadi, Wadachiwadi, Shewalewadi, Mangdewadi, Vadgaonsheri, Nandoshi, Bhilarewadi, Jambhulwadi, Gujar-Nimbalkarwadi, Kolewadi, Uruli Devachi, Phursungi, Bavdhan Budruk, Lohegaon, Hadapsar (Sadesatra Nali), Mundhwa (Keshavnagar area), Shivane, Dhayari, Undri, Ambegaon Khurda and Ambegaon Budruk.