The Kalyan-Dombivli Municipal Corporation (KDMC) has finally decided to grant 66% property tax rebate to residents of Palava City- the state’s first integrated township project – who have until now been paying double property taxes.
While the township’s Palava City Management Association (PCMA) has been charging residents for providing basic amentities and infrastructure, residents have also been paying taxes for the same to the KDMC.
According to a 2016 circular issued by the state’s urban development (UD) department, an integrated township that provides common amenities, utilties and infrastructure – like roads, street light, garden, sewage treatment plant, solid waste management and transport facilities – will be entitled to a 66% rebate in property tax.
KDMC, however, had not granted Palava this exemption, so even though all the basic facilities are provided by Palava’s own management association, residents had to pay for the facilities to the PCMA as well as to the KDMC.
“Till now, the PCMA has additionally paid between Rs 10 crore to 15 crore in taxes,” said Pramod (Raju) Patil, a Maharashtra Navnirman Sena MLA who is pursuing the issue of property tax relief with the KDMC.
KDMC’s tax department head Vinay Kulkarni said, “The integrated township should get this exemption. All formalities are completed. We are only awaiting approval from the General Body meeting.”
