PUNE: Various citizen groups are calling for the cancellation of the proposed amnesty scheme designed for property tax defaulters, arguing that earlier implementations have proven ineffective.
The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) initiated this amnesty scheme for the 2020-2021 fiscal year, intending to offer tax defaulters discounts upon settling their dues. The scheme was later reintroduced for the 2021-2022 fiscal year.
Vivek Velankar from Sajag Nagrik Manch, a citizens’ organization, stated, “The recurring launch of such schemes sends the wrong message to responsible taxpayers. Many who utilized the benefits ended up defaulting on taxes again, resulting in a revenue loss for the civic administration.”
The group submitted a letter to the civic authority on Tuesday.
Data obtained through the Right to Information Act (RTI) reveals that the administration suffered a loss of Rs 129 crore and Rs 64 crore during the fiscal years 2020-2021 and 2021-2022 due to the introduction of this scheme.
A senior civic official mentioned that the administration is considering the scheme to recover outstanding dues. “Numerous defaulters have not cleared their debts despite multiple reminders. We aim to ensure property owners do not exploit this scheme,” the official stated.
Another senior PMC official noted, “We will assess all the advantages and disadvantages of the scheme. Issues of past misuse will be examined before any further implementation.”
According to RTI data, 149,683 property owners benefited from the tax rebate in 2020-2021, with the administration waiving approximately Rs 210 crore. Among these beneficiaries, around 42%, or 63,518 owners, defaulted again.
The scheme was reintroduced in 2021-2022, providing benefits to 66,464 property owners, with about 67%, or 44,685 owners, defaulting once more. The tax department had offered a 75% discount on penalty fees as part of the amnesty program.
Resident Ashwini Pathak expressed frustration: “We have consistently paid our taxes for years without any special rewards, while defaulters receive preferential treatment. This may discourage timely payments from many property owners.”
