The Nashik Municipal Corporation (NMC) has firmed up plans to seize movable assets of property tax defaulters and auction them to recover the dues.
The cash-strapped civic body has property tax dues of over Rs 175 crore. The idea of taking such action has come from NMC administrator Ramesh Pawar, who was previously posted in Mumbai where such a measure is in place.
Earlier, the NMC would attach the properties of such defaulters but these would not get response during auctioning and had limitations. The NMC has now decided to seize movable assets like air conditioners, refrigerators, television and cars as per the provisions of the Maharashtra Municipal Corporation Act.
Pawar told TOI there is a legal provision to seize movable assets but this was not being implemented here.
Officials said the NMC had introduced an amnesty scheme for property tax defaulters in the last financial year but received very poor response. The civic body could only collect property tax dues of Rs 27 crore against the total dues of over Rs 200 crore.