Former Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) corporators have demanded that the issue of property tax assessment in 32 newly merged villages be raised in the ongoing Maharashtra Legislative Assembly session.
In a letter addressed to MLAs Vijay Shivtare (Purandar), Bhimrao Tapkir (Khadakwasla), Chetan Tupe Patil (Hadapsar), Bapusaheb Pathare (Wadgaon Sheri), Mauli Katke (Shirur), and Shankar Mandekar (Mulshi-Bhor-Velha), the former corporators have made the demand.
In the letter, former corporator Ujjwal Keskar has demanded justice for residents of these 32 villages, which were recently included in the PMC jurisdiction. The letter highlights that provisions under the Maharashtra Municipal Corporation (MMC) Act, particularly Section 129A, state that the tax assessment has not been carried out in accordance with the legal provisions.
Former corporator Suhas Kulkarni said, "Ahead of the Assembly elections, then Chief Minister and Urban Development Minister Eknath Shinde had stated that property tax in the merged villages should be levied at double the rate of the earlier gram panchayat tax and had announced a stay on tax recovery. Following this, PMC halted recovery. However, despite the stay, residents of the 32 villages collectively paid nearly ₹268 crore into the civic body’s treasury."
The former corporators have argued that the MMC Act clearly outlines how property tax should be levied in newly merged areas under Section 129A. They have alleged that PMC has not adhered strictly to these provisions while assessing taxes in the merged villages and demanded a review of the assessment process, stating that public dissatisfaction over taxation is justified.
The letter also criticises the alleged requirement of an ‘8A extract’ entry from the gram panchayat for availing benefits under Section 129A, claiming that no such condition exists in law and that PMC is the only municipal corporation in Maharashtra imposing such a stipulation. They have termed the practice as contrary to legal provisions and demanded that it be immediately withdrawn, with annual rateable values recalculated as per rules.
Former corporator Prashant Badhe said, "MLAs should press the state government to issue directions to PMC to implement Section 129A appropriately. We also demand that penalty taxes imposed on unauthorised constructions be reconsidered and brought on par with rthe elief reportedly granted to Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation. We have further sought amendments to Section 267A of the MMC Act, stating that the existing provisions are placing a heavy financial burden on residents of the 32 villages due to high taxes on unauthorised constructions."
The letter points out that while small plot holders had provisions under the regional plan to obtain building permissions, many preferred approvals from gram panchayats. With additional FSI provisions now available under Unified Development Control and Promotion Regulations (UDCPR), they have argued that taxation on existing constructions should be reasonable.
They have also called for the Assembly to raise the issue of keeping property tax rates moderate in these areas, citing earlier assurances that the villages were underdeveloped when included under PMRDA jurisdiction.
The former corporators have expressed readiness to draft a private member’s bill on the matter if required and stated that they would respond within 24 hours upon receiving feedback from the MLAs.
