The Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) has attached 794 properties — all open plots — for defaulting property tax to the tune of `55 crore.
“If these property owners fail to pay the NMC tax in the coming 21 days, all the open plots will be auctioned,” deputy municipal commissioner (revenue) Milind Meshram told.
Of the 10 zones, only six — Laxmi Nagar, Dharampeth, Hanuman Nagar, Nehru Nagar, Satranjipura and Ashi Nagar — have initiated action to recover pending property tax from the owners of open plots.
Warnings have been issued to assistant municipal commissioners of Gandhibagh, Lakadganj and Mangalwari zones as they have failed to initiate action against defaulting tax payers. Dhantoli zone does not have any defaulting open plot owners, said Meshram.
As per the data procured from the tax department, the city has around 81,558 open plots, whose owners have defaulted a whopping `306 crore property tax.
In the 2022-23 fiscal year, NMC’s property tax department had identified 87,889 owners of open plots and they had been defaulting on property tax for a long time. After the civic body initiated seizing action, as many 6,331 property owners have cleared their outstanding dues to the tune of `4.66 crore.
During the course of warrant action, around 2,600 open plot owners have filed objections against the civic body for levying sewerage and other taxes as their areas do not have sewer lines, water connections etc. “So, we have started the process to revise property tax of the plot owners,” clarified Meshram.
About the seized 794 open plots, Meshram said that their owners have been given 21-day window to clear the property tax. “If they fail, the NMC will initiate the process to auction 794 open plots in the coming months,” Meshram added.