Even as the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal CorporationтАЩs property tax department has launched a drive against 1.67 lakh tax defaulters, as many as 12,000 property owners have got rebates of Rs 65 lakh for taking eco-friendly steps last year.
тАЬProperty owners which primarily includes residential housing societies who have taken environment-friendly steps were given rebates up to 20 per cent on their property tax. The scheme was introduced by the PCMC last financial year. This year too the scheme will continue,тАЭ assistant municipal commissioner Nilesh Deshmukh told The Indian Express on Monday.
The scheme, officials said, went down well with the residents in its very first year. тАЬIn all, 12,000 property owners got a collective rebate of Rs 65 lakh on their property tax bill,тАЭ Deshmukh said. тАЬStill we are not satisfied. We want more and more citizens and societies to take advantage of it. Especially, if a residential housing society implements eco-friendly steps, then all the flats get the rebate in tax. There are over 5,000 residential societies in Pimpri-Chinchwad. We expect that maximum of them will take eco-friendly steps and avail of the benefit as a result,тАЭ Deshmukh said.
The eco-friendly steps required to be taken include having a composting system, sewage treatment plant (STP) and a zero-waste plan. тАЬIf the on-site composting system is operational, a 5 per cent tax rebate is given. If an STP is installed and working, a 3 per cent discount is extended. If a society is implementing the zero-waste plan, meaning all the wet and dry waste is processed at their end, then a 8 per cent discount is extended. And if a residential society has put in place a zero-waste plan and an STP, then it can get up to a 10 per cent discount,тАЭ Deshmukh said.
The PCMC has also launched a crackdown against property tax defaulters. Last fiscal, the tax department collected Rs 817 crore in property tax. тАЬIn all, we have 5,97,487 property owners. Of these, 1.67 lakh property owners are defaulters. We are analysing how many of them have not paid their tax for one year, two year or more than that,тАЭ Deshmukh said. Those who are long-time defaulters will face confiscation of their properties, he said.
The tax department sends property bills after every six months. For the six months, the bill has to be paid by June 30. The second bill is sent by October. This bill has to be paid by December 31. тАЬIf residents do not pay their bill by the set deadline, they have to pay a 2 per cent penalty, which is applicable for every day of the default. Many do not know this. They keep delaying the payment of their bill. If residents pay their annual bill in advance and online, they get a discount of up to 10 per cent,тАЭ Deshmukh said. In 2022-23, 48 per cent of the residents paid their taxes online.
