In a decisive effort to recover increasing property tax arrears, the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) has initiated a rigorous enforcement campaign utilizing technology to focus on chronic defaulters.
Municipal commissioner Abhijeet Chaudhari instructed the property tax department to actively pursue outstanding arrears, leading to the implementation of a new automated warrant alert system for those neglecting tax notices, as reported by deputy municipal commissioner (Revenue) Milind Meshram. The NMC is facing challenges in raising funds for essential projects.
Conversely, a startling statistic has surfaced — 261 owners of prime properties throughout the city have defaulted on property tax payments exceeding Rs25 lakh each, with total arrears reaching an astonishing Rs442 crore. The overall outstanding property tax arrears, including penalties, have already surpassed Rs1,000 crore.
A significant aspect of the reform involves the complete revamp of NMC’s taxpayer database, which includes mandatory verification and updating of postal addresses and mobile numbers.
For the first time, NMC is incorporating India Post’s Proof of Delivery (POD) system with its internal tax platform, allowing for real-time tracking of invoice delivery. “We are now ensuring a flawless address system. Once India Post delivers tax invoices, the POD is uploaded against each taxpayer’s record,” Meshram stated. In cases where delivery fails due to incorrect or outdated addresses, zonal teams are personally delivering invoices and updating information directly in the system.
This initiative has enabled NMC to successfully deliver approximately 95% of tax invoices to date. Only 23,709 invoices — primarily associated with open plots where property owners could not be located — remain undelivered, along with an additional 24,237 tax invoices awaiting dispatch. With delivery verification nearly finalized, the administration has transitioned to recovery mode. Defaulters who have disregarded invoices despite confirmed delivery are now receiving automated warrant SMS alerts.
Previously, revenue inspectors were required to physically transfer proposals for warrant execution to assistant commissioners, who subsequently sent them to headquarters. This procedure was quite labor-intensive. Currently, the system automatically alerts both the defaulter and zonal officers for prompt warrant execution,” Meshram clarified.
The enforcement initiative has already gained traction — the system dispatched 240 warrant SMS notifications to defaulters just on Wednesday. Sample messages examined caution property owners that a warrant has been issued and instruct them to settle their dues immediately or risk facing legal and recovery actions. Each SMS contains a web link to access the warrant on the NMC portal.
Chaudhari’s directive signifies a transition from persuasion to stringent enforcement. With enhanced address tracking, digital POD integration, and automated legal notifications, the civic body is addressing long-standing loopholes that have been exploited by property owners and habitual tax evaders.
As NMC fortifies compliance in anticipation of the upcoming fiscal cycle, taxpayers who have previously depended on system delays are now confronted with prompt and decisive action.
