Twin city housing societies won’t support PCMC in snapping tax defaulters’ water connections

On Friday, the PCMC began issuing notices to housing societies in Pimpri-Chinchwad, asking them to take action within three days against those residents who hadn’t paid their property tax dues

A day after the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) decided to intensify its drive against property tax defaulters by disconnecting individual water tap connections, housing societies in Pimpri-Chinchwad made it clear that they will not support the civic body in this action and that the civic body should take such action on its own.

A senior officer from the PCMC on condition of anonymity said, “We are following the rules according to which, the civic body has the power to snap water connections. (HT PHOTO)

On Friday, the PCMC began issuing notices to housing societies in Pimpri-Chinchwad, asking them to take action within three days against those residents who hadn’t paid their property tax dues. The PCMC directed the housing society committees to snap the water connections of defaulters if they did not pay up their dues within three days. Furthermore, the PCMC asked the housing societies to post the details of the members’ pending dues on WhatsApp groups and the notice board of the society. However, the Chikhali-Moshi Pimpri-Chinchwad Housing Societies’ Federation (CMPCHSF), in a letter to the PCMC commissioner, said it will not cooperate in snapping individual water connections on behalf of the civic body.

Sanjeevan Sangale, chairman, CMPCHSF, said that water is a fundamental right and the PCMC cannot cut water supply for tax dues. “The housing societies will not support the civic body in cutting tap connections. The society will not snap water connections for the PCMC and the civic body has to do it at its own expense. Also, the supply should be restored by the civic body at its own expense,” Sangale said.

Sangale said that housing societies will not put up the pending tax dues of society members on WhatsApp groups and society notice boards as that amounts to defamation. “The PCMC should refrain from cutting the water supply of housing societies for the tax dues of a few members. However, we won’t stop the PCMC from cutting the water supply at its own expense,” he said.

Dattatraya Deshmukh, president, Pimpri-Chinchwad Cooperative Housing Societies’ Federation, said that they are against the decision taken by the PCMC. “We will not support the civic body in its drive. Water is a basic need for a human being to survive. Just because someone is unable to pay the tax money due to some financial issue, the corporation cannot snap the water connection. We will discuss the issue with our lawyer and challenge the decision in court.”

A senior officer from the PCMC on condition of anonymity said, “We are following the rules according to which, the civic body has the power to snap water connections, seal property and auction it for pending tax dues. We will discuss the issue with the housing society members.”

There are 1.77 lakh tax defaulters in Pimpri-Chinchwad who owe a total ₹580 crore in property tax to the PCMC. Out of the total tax dues, ₹400 crore is owed by residential properties, which is a cause for concern. Over ₹300 crore in property tax dues is owed by property owners residing in housing societies, individual houses and bungalows while ₹100 crore in property tax dues is owed by slumdwellers and the urban poor.

Advocate Mahendra Dalalkar said that water is among the fundamental rights of citizens, and the PCMC cannot snap water connections for pending tax dues. “This can be challenged in a court of law and even the Judiciary will not support such decisions to keep any individual deprived of fundamental rights. The civic body can penalise taxpayers for the delay in payment or seek other options to clear the dues.”