PUNE: The Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) has set a record in property tax collection during the first quarter of the 2025-26 financial year.
This accomplishment is largely attributed to the effective utilization of data from its “City Hub for Data Communication” (CHDC) project.
In just 90 days, the PCMC collected ₹522 crore in property tax, surpassing 50% of the total tax revenue collected in the previous fiscal year. Last year, the civic body achieved the ₹500-crore milestone only by October.
This strong start positions the PCMC to aim for an unprecedented annual collection. During the 2024-25 financial year, the PCMC collected ₹965.71 crore in property tax, compared to the record ₹977 crore in 2023-24.
Launched in February earlier this year, the CHDC project is touted as a unique initiative in India. It allows the municipal corporation to analyze data and implement data-driven solutions, with only New York (USA) and Tel Aviv (Israel) reportedly having similar projects effectively in place.
The CHDC has facilitated data-driven planning, real-time analysis of defaulters, and the detection of tax response patterns specific to different areas.
Avinash Shinde, assistant municipal commissioner and head of the PCMC’s property tax department, noted that the civic body used data to identify taxpayers who typically prefer to pay their dues at the end of the financial year rather than quarterly.
“From April, we increased the frequency of reminder messages to these property owners, featuring additional discounts like a 10% concession on general tax for online payments and an additional 2% for timely payments over three consecutive years. This encouraged them to pay on a quarterly basis,” he explained.
“The strategic planning by the tax department, use of data through the CHDC, door-to-door delivery of bills with the help of self-help groups, and effective public outreach have contributed to reaching the ₹522 crore milestone in record time,” noted municipal commissioner Shekhar Singh.
