PUNE: The Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) reports a robust response to its amnesty scheme for property tax defaulters, yet the overall tax collections appear to be underwhelming, as the organization is unlikely to achieve its set targets or match last year’s figures.
For this fiscal year, PCMC has aimed to generate Rs 1,000 crore from property tax.
According to municipal officials, the PCMC has accumulated nearly Rs 80 crore in property tax revenue following the launch of the amnesty scheme on March 1. This initiative provides a 90% penalty waiver for defaulters, applicable only to those who settle their dues in full between March 1 and March 31.
“So far, the civic body has collected Rs 830 crore in property tax this financial year, with about Rs 80 crore collected in the last 20 days of the scheme. The administration has waived a total of Rs 19.15 crore under this initiative,” stated a civic official.
“Despite the temporary surge, overall collections may still fall short of expectations by the fiscal year’s end. In the fiscal years 2024-25 and 2023-24, the civic body collected Rs 966 crore and Rs 977 crore respectively,” the official added.
For the first time, PCMC instituted this amnesty scheme in response to requests from several corporators during the initial general body meeting, asserting it could enhance revenue. The decision was also influenced by a decline in collections in the previous fiscal year.
“The positive response to the scheme demonstrates the trust residents place in the administration. It aims to alleviate financial burdens on citizens by offering concessions on pending property tax penalties. We encourage those with outstanding tax dues to take advantage of this opportunity,” said Mayor Ravi Landge.
