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Pune civic body bags ₹713 crore from extended property tax amnesty

PUNE: Civic Commissioner Naval Kishore Ram announced on Monday that the property tax amnesty scheme has been extended until February 16. The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) reported collecting around ₹713 crore from tax defaulters during the initial two months of the scheme, which originally concluded on January 15. “The response to the scheme was positive. However, election-related factors impacted collections. This extension allows more property owners to take advantage of it,” Ram stated during a press briefing after the Standing Committee meeting. Additionally, Ram noted that the administration is in the final stages of preparing the municipal budget for 2026–27,…

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Pune: PMC to Earn ₹200 Crore Yearly from Building Permits

PUNE: The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) anticipates generating around Rs 200 crore annually through building permissions in newly merged areas, following the transfer of authority from the Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority (PMRDA) to the civic administration. PMC officials mentioned that this revenue boost would alleviate the pressure on civic finances and support infrastructure development in these areas, expediting the implementation of the development plan (DP) approved by the state government in October 2017 for the newly incorporated zones. “The population of the nine villages is estimated to be around 6 lakh, with projections of reaching 8 lakh by 2035.…

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NGT Approves Baner Project, Orders MPCB Oversight

PUNE: The National Green Tribunal’s western zone bench in Pune has permitted construction to resume on a real estate project in Baner, with monitoring mandated by the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) to prevent any breaches of noise and dust pollution standards. The bench, consisting of Justice Dinesh Kumar Singh (judicial member) and Dr. Sujit Kumar Bajpayee (expert member), stated in an order dated December 8 that the project representatives provided scientific test reports indicating that ambient air and noise levels were “within the permissible limit.” The NGT instructed the MPCB to inspect the site “within a week” to assess…

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Pune to create guidelines for PGs after resident complaints

Representative AI image PUNE: Concerns have been raised for years regarding the living conditions in numerous abhyasikas and the cramped spaces in the older neighborhoods. Residents expressed these worries to additional municipal commissioner Prithviraj B P during a recent meeting. The increasing student population has further strained local infrastructure. In response, the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has launched a survey of all abhyasikas in the old city and the paying guest system. Guidelines for their operation will be issued. Prithviraj mentioned complaints about illegal parking, abhyasikas functioning in designated parking areas, safety, and hygiene issues due to overcrowded living conditions.…

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Pune Civic Body Hits Revenue Loss as State Halts Tax Recovery

PUNE: The civic body that faced revenue losses in the 2024-25 fiscal owing to ongoing legal disputes regarding property tax in merged areas might encounter the same challenges in the 2025-26 financial year, as the state government maintains its ban on tax recovery. In 2024, the state mandated a halt to property tax collection from merged regions and ordered the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) to limit property tax to no more than twice the rates previously set by the grampanchayats, following complaints from residents of the newly integrated areas about high civic taxes. The absence of specific regulations within the…

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Pune: 1.3 Lakh Property Owners Excluded from Tax Amnesty

PUNE: The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has announced a ban on 1.38 lakh property owners who are repeat defaulters from participating in the property tax amnesty scheme. This decision follows concerns raised by citizens’ groups regarding some property owners who continuously default on their taxes while exploiting the amnesty benefits. The current scheme grants a 75% discount on penalties for unpaid property taxes. “Actions are underway to ensure that only legitimate beneficiaries obtain benefits from the schemes. Property owners who have previously availed of the scheme will not be eligible for it again,” stated Ravi Pawar, head of PMC’s property…

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Pune: PMC Unveils Tax Amnesty Scheme Amid Resident Opposition

PUNE: In response to recent protests from some residents, the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has announced a new amnesty scheme for property tax defaulters, set to launch from November 15, 2025, until January 15, 2026. “The monthly penalty of 2% has now surpassed the original tax amount, prompting this initiative, which will provide a 75% waiver on penalties,” explained PMC’s additional commissioner, Prithviraj BP. Recently, the citizens’ group Sajag Nagrik Manch criticized the effectiveness of such schemes, stating that previous efforts have failed to encourage defaulters to pay their dues. According to the Maharashtra Municipal Corporations Act, a 2% monthly…

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Pune PMC Issues Demolition Guidelines for Old Properties

PUNE: The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has issued new directives for developers regarding the safe demolition of properties slated for redevelopment. As per the PMC’s recently released guidelines, developers are required to notify both the fire brigade and adjacent property owners during the demolition of older structures. If there’s a risk of damage to neighboring properties, those premises must be vacated. “New building permissions are contingent upon strict adherence to the PMC’s regulations for safe and secure demolitions. Developers must submit photographic evidence of compliance,” stated Rajesh Bankar, a senior official in the PMC’s building permission department. In addition to…

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Citizens Demand End to Pune’s Tax Defaulter Amnesty Scheme

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…

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Pune: Cluster Redevelopment of Wadas Faces Policy and Resident Hurdles

Representative image PUNE: Nearly eight years after its proposal, progress on the cluster development initiative aimed at redeveloping aging wadas and deteriorating buildings in the city has been minimal, according to data from the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC). The topic has resurfaced due to opposition from residents of Lokmanyanagar, a neighborhood with 52 housing societies and over 800 flats. Many buildings, built in the 1960s, are facing issues like cracked walls, irregular water supply, and inadequate drainage systems. Kasba Peth MLA Hemant Rasane commented, “Many properties are suffering due to a lack of response to cluster development. We should explore…