Bhiwandi: In a major relief to property owners, the Bhiwandi Nizampur Municipal Corporation (BNCMC) has announced a 100 per cent interest waiver on outstanding property tax dues for a period of two months, from February 1 to March 31. The decision aims to accelerate tax recovery and strengthen the civic body’s fragile financial position.
Under the scheme, taxpayers clearing their pending property tax dues within the stipulated period will receive a complete waiver on accumulated interest. Civic officials believe the move will encourage defaulters to come forward and settle long-pending dues.
Earlier, the corporation had rolled out a phased interest waiver scheme — 100 per cent waiver from November 7 to November 30, 2025, 75 per cent from December 1 to December 31, 2025, and 50 per cent from January 1 to March 31, 2026. Despite these incentives, the recovery response remained below expectations.
Recovery Falls Short of Target
BNCMC had set a recovery target of ₹200 crore through the interest waiver initiative. However, as of January 31, the corporation managed to recover only ₹69 crore, officials said.
According to civic records, total property tax arrears in Bhiwandi have ballooned to nearly ₹1,000 crore, of which ₹418 crore is accumulated interest alone — a figure that has raised serious concern within the administration.
Sluggish Collections Hit Development Works
Property tax remains the primary source of revenue for the municipal corporation. However, poor collection over the past few years has severely impacted civic finances, leading to delays in infrastructure development and essential public works.
Officials noted that while many citizens pay their taxes regularly, a significant number of property owners intentionally delay payments in anticipation of waiver schemes, further weakening the corporation’s revenue base.
Deputy Commissioner Assures Strict Action
Deputy Commissioner (Tax) Balkrishna Shirsagar said the 100 per cent interest waiver scheme came into effect on February 1, reiterating the administration’s commitment to achieving the ₹200 crore recovery target.
He explained that tax collection had slowed considerably due to the municipal elections, as a large section of civic staff was deployed for election-related duties. “Now that the elections are over, recovery efforts have been intensified. Major defaulters are being identified and dedicated recovery teams have been deployed across all five administrative wards,” Shirsagar said.
Providing details, he added that the current financial year’s property tax demand stands at ₹167.17 crore, while arrears from previous years amount to ₹893 crore, including ₹418 crore in interest. “Despite the relief offered, strict action will be taken against those who continue to default,” he warned.
Shirsagar further revealed that only ₹67 crore has been recovered in the past 10 months, including ₹34 crore from the current year and ₹35 crore from past arrears, underscoring the urgency of the situation.
Tax Department Steps Up Enforcement
Tax Department Head Sudhir Gurav said that 80 clerks have been deployed across BNMC’s five administrative divisions to recover dues from 2,85,171 registered properties in the city.
He added that a special task force has been constituted to monitor large defaulters and initiate coercive measures wherever required.
Final Warning to Defaulters
The BNCMC administration has issued a clear warning that once the interest waiver period ends, stringent action including property attachment and legal proceedings will be initiated against persistent defaulters.
Appealing to citizens, Deputy Commissioner Shirsagar urged property owners to take advantage of the limited-time waiver. “Timely payment of property tax will help restore the corporation’s financial health and accelerate much-needed development works in Bhiwandi,” he said.
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