Pune: A Right to Information (RTI) query has revealed that property tax arrears amounting to Rs 7,737 crore, owed by 1,667 properties in Pune, are due. The data, received from the Pune Municipal Corporation’s (PMC) Property Tax Department, is getting a lot of criticism from the activists.
The activist claims that the administration is losing revenue by prioritising amnesty schemes over targeted recovery from large defaulters. According to the information, 1,336 cases involving mobile towers account for a massive Rs 4,376 crore in dues. All these cases are currently pending in court.
Civic activist Vivek Velankar has written to the Pune Municipal Commissioner, urging the authorities to form a special legal and recovery cell to speed up the disposal of these cases. He stated that if even half of the cases are resolved in PMC’s favour, the civic body could recover nearly Rs 2,000 crore.
The remaining arrears include substantial unpaid amounts from government and semi-government agencies:
• Defence Department: Rs 123 crore
• MSEDCL: Rs 68 crore
• PMPML: Rs 120 crore
• BSNL: Rs 14 crore
• MHADA: Rs 14 crore
• Nationalised Banks: Rs 10 crore
• CWPRS: Rs 7 crore
• Various State Government Departments: Rs 10 crore
Together, these institutions owe close to Rs 355 crore. Velankar said, “If PMC concentrates on recovering dues from these major entities, the civic body could earn revenue comparable to or greater than what it hopes to generate from the ongoing penalty waiver (amnesty) scheme.”
“Such schemes ultimately cause financial loss to the PMC, while major defaulters remain untouched. The Legal Department should make sincere and time-bound efforts to resolve court-pending cases involving big taxpayers,” he added.
Speaking to Free Press Journal, Sudhir Kaka Kulkarni, a social activist, said, "We have been raising these issues for a very long time, but nothing has been done. Instead, we see people who are paying the taxes are the ones suffering, the defaulters are getting flowers and bouquets.”
“The government offices and semi-government offices don't pay water taxes properly taxes they just think that they are a government body, and nothing can be done against them. The defaulters are paid respect, and the common people who are paying taxes are the ones who are slapped with notices and updates about paying property taxes. The defaulters get away with everything,” Kulkarni added.
