Municipal commissioner Radhakrishnan B on Tuesday said the civic administration will soon offer additional incentives to those who pay property tax and water bill promptly and regularly.
Addressing a joint press conference with deputy mayor Manisha Kothe and standing committee chairman Vijay Zalke, the civic chief announced another amnesty scheme for the nearly 6.35 lakh property owners in the city.
The municipal commissioner clarified NMC already provided 4% rebate for those who paid property tax promptly and added that NMC will work to offer more incentives for regular taxpayers.
The cash-strapped NMC’s main source of income is from property tax. Some 1.72 lakh property owners have already paid their tax amounting to Rs85 crore against the current year’s demand of Rs250 crore.
The arrears from remaining have crossed Rs600 crore. Of the outstanding, the NMC could recover only Rs40 crore, said the civic chief. Currently, NMC’s outstanding demand from property tax is around Rs810 crore including arrears, he said. The major default was by open plot owners as NMC had no data of many of them.
Of the outstanding, around Rs71 crore is stuck in legal disputes. According to deputy municipal commissioner (property tax department) Milind Meshram, as many 350 property owners had approached the courts and filed objection over property tax assessment. Radhakrishnan said such owners can also avail the amnesty scheme. “We appeal to them to withdraw their cases, the NMC will give them a rebate,” he said.
NMC had twice announced amnesty schemes in 2016-17 and 2017-18. During first scheme, 31,083 property owners had availed the benefit and NMC had garnered Rs30.46 crore revenue. During second, NMC earned Rs34.50 crore from 34,333 property owners.
With the third scheme introduced now, NMC is expecting to collect 80% of the property tax arrears of Rs600 crore. Last time NMC could collect only 20% of the arrears, admitted former deputy mayor Sandip Jadhav.
Radhakrishnan said apart from two counters in each zone, property tax payment could also be made through smart kiosks at many Aapli Bus stops across the city. Payments can also be done online through NMC’s website.
