In a move to address the growing issue of property tax defaulters, the Panvel Municipal Corporation has commenced the issuance of pre-seizure notices. Under the directive of Commissioner Mangesh Chitale, the property tax department's seizure team has already distributed 447 pre-seizure notices across all four municipal wards, with 27 warrants issued to date.

The Municipal Corporation has levied property tax on approximately 350,000 properties within its jurisdiction. Since the beginning of the current financial year in April, the corporation has successfully recovered a total of Rs. 314.5 crore in property taxes.

Deputy Commissioner of Property Tax, Swaroop Kharge, has urged property owners to comply with tax regulations and settle their dues promptly. "We have been instructed to take strict action against defaulters. If property taxes remain unpaid, we will proceed with seizure actions," Kharge stated.

The Municipal Corporation is empowered under Section 128 of the Maharashtra Municipal Corporation Act and Chapter 8 of Schedule D, Taxation Rule 47, to seize or attach both movable and immovable properties for outstanding tax arrears. This includes the potential sale of such properties at public auction to recover owed amounts. The seizure operations are currently focused on areas including Kharghar, Nawde, Kalamboli, Kamothe, Panvel, and New Panvel, led by Tax Superintendents Mahesh Gaikwad and Sunil Bhoir.

Property tax is a crucial revenue source for the Municipal Corporation, funding various proposed projects and services. The corporation has highlighted that penalties for non-payment increase by 2 percent each month, prompting a call to action for citizens to fulfill their tax obligations. To facilitate payments, the Municipal Corporation has launched the 'PMC TAX APP' for online transactions, and property owners can also visit the official website at www.panvelmc.org. For any inquiries, a toll-free number, 1800-5320-340, has been established for assistance.

The initiative appears to be yielding results, as property owners have begun to respond positively to the threat of seizure. Notably, the Kharghar Recovery Team, led by Prakash Fake, has successfully recovered Rs. 86 lakh from a prominent mall and Rs. 4.69 crore from a well-known educational institution in the area.