Mumbai: The BMC has attached 24 properties including four JCB and a poclain machine, since the owners of these properties have failed to pay their property tax amounting to total of Rs.180 crores. The civic body has warned the defaulters to pay the amount within the next five days or the attached properties will be auctioned.
The VIP occupied Shubhada co-operative society in Worli has been given 48 hours time to pay pending property tax of Rs. 35.94 crores, while the New Shirin Talkies have been sent an auction notice by the civic body. The property tax bills for the financial year 2023-24 was sent in February. So, the civic body has extended the deadline to pay property tax without 2% interest per month, till May 25.
The civic officials are also tracing big defaulters to recover the loss incurred due to delay of bills in the last financial year. With just few days left for the deadline to end, the civic officials has attached 24 properties in this week. The properties was either sealed or attached under the sec. 205 of the BMC Act 1888. As per the list released by the BMC, action was taken on J.Kumar Infrastructure project limited for failing to pay Rs. 80 crores property tax for casting yard, Shubhada co-operative society in Worli - Rs. 35.94 crores, New Shirin Talkies - Rs. 6.47 crores, Renaissance trust - Rs. 6.72 crore of pending property tax. Four JCB and a poclain of the trust has been attached by the civic body.
The other defaulters includes Shantilal Realty Pvt. Ltd., M/s. Lok housing and construction limited, M/s. Arihant Realtors, M/s. Crescent Aaditya Realtors Pvt. Ltd, etc. The BMC has attached land or commercial galas of some of the developers and Realtors.
The civic body has seen a decline in property tax collection due to exemption for residential properties up to 500 sq.ft. and no hike in tax in the past five years.
In addition to this, the legal complexities of new methods of tax calculation badly affected the revenue collection in 2023-24. So, the initial target of property tax was revised from Rs. 6,000 crores to Rs.4,500 crores and the bills were sent on February 27 this year. The BMC has collected Rs. 3,950 crores till last week.
