Nagpur: Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) will launch a special property tax recovery drive from August 20 to September 30 to recover a combined 1,279 crore in property tax dues, including outstanding tax, penalty and warrant-related amounts. Municipal commissioner Vipin Itankar signed the proposal on Wednesday, directing officials to intensify recovery from defaulters, with commercial properties to be targeted on priority.According to the proposal, the NMC has identified 683.66 crore as outstanding property tax, while accumulated penalty amounts stand at 586.70 crore. Another 8.69 crore is linked to warrant proceedings, taking the combined amount to 1,279.05 crore, rounded off to 1,279 crore.The recovery drive will cover 3.24 lakh properties with outstanding dues. Determined to fill its empty coffers, the civic body is adopting a systematic, descending-order priority matrix for the month-long crackdown. “Officials have been instructed to adopt a graded approach, beginning with commercial properties, followed by mixed-use, residential properties and open plots,” additional commissioner Milind Meshram told TOI.Data shows that building properties account for bulk of the outstanding tax. Around 2.35 lakh building properties have outstanding dues of 472.12 crore, while 88,918 land/open-plot properties account for another 211.55 crore.The civic body will focus particularly on high-value defaulters. Among commercial properties, 624 accounts with dues exceeding 5 lakh have outstanding and penal amounts running into several crores. Similarly, 404 mixed-use properties and 709 residential properties in the above- 5 lakh category have been identified for priority recovery.The recovery campaign will also target large number of smaller defaulters. NMC officials have been directed to ensure systematic recovery across different slabs instead of limiting action to major taxpayers.For persistent and substantial defaulters, the recovery squads to invoke provisions under Rule 42 of Maharashtra Municipal Corporation Tax Rules and initiate warrant proceedings directly. “However, we are providing a quick-exit option to avoid harsh actions: our teams will carry digital POS terminals. Defaulters can settle their entire outstanding balance on the spot using digital payments to prevent property attachment”.Properties under disputed brackets and massive non-GIS-mapped properties are expected to receive scrutiny. Citizens are urged to cooperate with visiting squads and clear their dues immediately to prevent embarrassing public warrant executions.With the commissioner personally approving the plan, officials have been asked to treat the Aug 20-Sept 30 window as a focused recovery campaign, closely monitor progress and take action against persistent defaulters.
