E-Paper
PMC to recover thrice the amount of property tax from rooftop hotels, parking space violators
More than 75 such properties are under the scanner of building permission department for violation of Maharashtra Regional and Town Planning (MR&TP) Act, 1966, and Bombay Provincial Municipal Corporation Act, 1949 (BPMC)
The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has decided to recover thrice the amount of property tax from owners of rooftop hotels found indulging in unauthorised constructions and using parking space for commercial purposes.
More than 75 such properties are under the scanner of building permission department for violation of Maharashtra Regional and Town Planning (MR&TP) Act, 1966, and Bombay Provincial Municipal Corporation Act, 1949 (BPMC). Municipal commissioner Vikram Kumar gave his in-principle approval for new commercial rates for violators a few days ago.
PMC building permission department and anti-encroachment cell have found that despite warnings and notices, owners were found commercially exploiting residential properties, specifically rooftops and side margins of commercial establishments. The anti-encroachment department had demolished unauthorised structures, but they sprang up again putting a serious question mark on the action taken. The building permission department stated that besides demolition, property tax would be charged thrice the amount from violators.
PMC had last week issued notices to 75 rooftop restaurants for conducting unauthorised operations. The business establishments have been under the PMC scanner after a major fire incident at a rooftop restaurant in Baner on June 9. Post the incident, Kumar ordered a survey of rooftop restaurants and directed the fire department to carry out necessary inspections and file a status report.
The survey undertaken by the anti-encroachment department, property tax department, building permission department and fire department revealed that 18 hotels in Baner and 75 rooftop restaurants were running without permission from the civic body. The officials found that most of the commercial establishments had converted the parking area into commercial zones in violation of state government guidelines.
