The Nashik Municipal Corporation (NMC) has initiated an amnesty program for property tax defaulters, which commenced on Monday, September 1. This initiative is designed to recover a significant portion of the total outstanding property tax, currently estimated at Rs784 crore.
This figure includes Rs327 crore in penalties that have accrued over the years. The scheme offers a considerable waiver on penalties for individuals who settle their dues. Defaulters who pay all their outstanding property tax between September 1 and October 31 will receive a 95% waiver on their accumulated penalties. For those opting to clear their dues in November, the penalty waiver will be 85%. The property tax department of the NMC generally imposes a 2% monthly penalty on unpaid taxes, in addition to recovering costs for any notices and warrants issued to defaulters.
This amnesty program presents a significant incentive for residents to resolve their accounts. “We need to raise funds for our 20% contribution towards the upcoming Simhastha Kumbh Mela. We have already developed a Rs15,000 crore Kumbh Mela plan and submitted it to the state government for approval. It is essential to raise funds for the Kumbh Mela. Therefore, we have decided to recover as much property tax dues as possible. This will undoubtedly provide relief to the civic body,” stated an NMC official.
Before taking stringent measures against property tax defaulters, we have opted to implement an amnesty scheme. We hope this will facilitate the collection of maximum dues, the official further remarked. It is imperative for the civic body to achieve the 100% property tax collection target established for each financial year to secure funds under the 15th Planning Commission of the Centre.
Last year, the civic administration launched an amnesty scheme for defaulters from October 1 to January 31 (2024), offering a 95% rebate on the penalty amount for those who settled their dues. In the last financial year, the NMC successfully collected Rs 256 crore in property tax, surpassing the target of Rs 250 crore.
