PCMC won’t seize moveable properties of tax defaulters for now: ‘Will use it as last resort’

“We had started the process last week….However, we have put the move on hold for now. It will be used as a last resort,” PCMC Assistant Municipal Commissioner Nilesh Deshmukh said.

In its edition published on Monday, The Indian Express had reported on the uproar among the citizens about the civic body’s action. Municipal Commissioner Shekhar Singh said, “As of now, we have put the move on hold. But soon we will be targeting those who have tax arrears of more than Rs 1 lakh, which has been pending for years. Whatever we do will be within the ambit of law.”

Deshmukh said it had to be understood that PCMC was not targeting a large number of property tax defaulters. “We have as many as 8,691 property owners who have defaulted in paying their tax up to Rs 1 lakh and beyond for five to 10 years. Of these, there are 2,000 residential property owners. Once we intimated them about seizing their moveable properties, we are confident that only around 200 property owners will not pay up while the rest will rush forth with it. This means, of the around 6 lakh property owners, the action of seizing moveable properties will be limited to only 0.1 per cent property owners,” Deshmukh said.

The tax officials said whatever action they intended to carry out is as per the provisions of the Maharashtra Municipal Corporation Act. “If people are protesting against the move to seize moveable properties, then we have the option of sealing their immoveable properties. We will then keep sealing their immoveable properties such as flats. Actually, we don’t want to displace people from their living place and therefore wanted to seize their moveable properties,” Deshmukh said. “Even otherwise, we were going to seize the moveable properties only as a last resort. It will always remains the last option if the citizens refuse to pay up despite repeated reminders,” he added.

On Sunday, former corporators, activists and citizens had expressed strong opposition to the decision to seize moveable properties of tax defaulters by the tax collection and tax assessment department of the PCMC. Describing it as a “public humiliation” of the citizens, they had urged PCMC to find other ways to make the defaulters pay up.

In a letter to Municipal Commissioner Singh, Seema Savale, former chairperson of the PCMC standing committee, said, “The decision of the property tax department to seize TV, fridge and vehicles of tax defaulters is wrong. This will tarnish the image of the industrial city. To collect taxes by carrying out humiliation of the tax defaulters in front of people and their (property owners’) families is not our culture. And that’s why I urge the municipal commissioner to take back the decision.”

Another former corporator, Babu Nair, called the PCMC’s move “utterly ridiculous”.

Activist Manav Kamble of NGO Nagrik Haqq Suraksha Samiti said, “The PCMC tax department’s move does not make any sense. Every citizen has the right to live with dignity as guaranteed by our Constitution.”