Navi Mumbai civic body cracks down on property tax defaulters, recovers ₹625 crore

Defaulters have been served notices warning of property seizures, and those who have not responded within the stipulated time frame are facing strict enforcement measures. As part of its crackdown, the NMMC has already attached properties of 128 major defaulters, each owing over ₹1 lakh

NAVI MUMBAI: The Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) is leaving no stone unturned to recover pending property tax dues. With a firm stance against defaulters, the civic body has intensified its collection drive, even resorting to seizing properties of those failing to comply.

Navi Mumbai civic body cracks down on property tax defaulters, recovers ₹625 crore

Municipal commissioner Kailas Shinde is overseeing the efforts of the property tax department, which aims to collect a total of ₹900 crore this financial year. So far, over ₹625 crore has been recovered, and stringent action is being taken against those still in arrears.

Defaulters have been served notices warning of property seizures, and those who have not responded within the stipulated time frame are facing strict enforcement measures. As part of its crackdown, the NMMC has already attached properties of 128 major defaulters, each owing over ₹1 lakh. These individuals are among 8,000 such significant defaulters in the city.

“Property tax is the primary revenue source for the civic body, enabling us to provide essential services to residents. However, some individuals continue to evade their responsibilities despite enjoying these services. Therefore, we are implementing stringent recovery measures to ensure timely payments and uninterrupted city development,” stated commissioner Shinde.

The intensified drive is already yielding results. “The message is getting across quickly,” Shinde noted. “After their properties were seized, 30 defaulters cleared dues amounting to ₹7.48 crore. They realised that failure to pay would lead to the auctioning of their attached properties.”

Deputy municipal commissioner (Property Tax) Sharad Pawar reaffirmed the tough stance, citing specific cases. “At Amey Co-operative Housing Society in Nerul, 68 commercial establishments collectively owe ₹5.32 crore in property tax. They have been issued attachment notices by the civic body’s confiscation officer.”

Pawar further disclosed that the NMMC has already attached properties of three defaulters from this society who failed to respond to repeated notices. “If others do not comply, they will face similar action, followed by property auctions to recover the dues,” he warned.

In addition to property seizures, the civic body is preparing to escalate its enforcement measures by cutting off water supply to defaulting housing and commercial societies.