The Nasik Municipal Corporation (NMC) could collect only Rs 8 crore between February 16 and March 21 due to rise in Covid-19 cases in the city from the second week of February. Property tax collection in the current fiscal may fall short by Rs 30 crore compared to the last fiscal as the work of city’s civic body has been severely affected due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The staff of property tax department have been engaged in activities related to Covid-19 like tracing and conducting surveys.The property tax revenue of the NMC has declined by 23% to Rs 107 crore (as on March 21) in the current financial year, against Rs 140 crore in the last year.
The property tax collection is said to be badly affected due to Covid-19 pandemic. There is still a shortfall of Rs 33 crore in the collection this year as compared to the last fiscal according to Pradeep Chaudhari, deputy commissioner (tax) of NMC.
The body has have also issued warrants to 139 defaulters, who own large properties, having dues amounting to Rs 20 crore. They have been warned them of confiscation of their properties if they don’t clear the dues within the stipulated time. Nashik Civic Bidy is expecting to add Rs 3 crore more by the end of this fiscal.
In a bid to clear dues, NMC had introduced an amnesty scheme in three phases between November and February. During these phases, NMC collected Rs 33.42 crore from 55,209 defaulters. Of which, it collected Rs 23.34 crore dues during the first phase by January 15 and Rs 7.41 crore dues in the second phase by February 15. Last year too, NMC had brought an amnesty scheme and collected Rs 45 crore dues from the property tax defaulters.
