Nagpur: Barely 11.7% of Rs190.33 crore in outstanding commercial property tax dues is under warrant action in Nagpur. Of the 2,062 non-residential defaulters, the civic body issued warrants against just 359 properties — a mere 17.4% — exposing a glaring gap between revenue potential and enforcement.Data on pending commercial property tax reveals that the bulk of unpaid dues lies in the high-value category — properties owing over Rs5 lakh. As many as 229 such establishments defaulted on a staggering Rs157.01cr. However, warrants were generated against only 53, accounting for Rs16.70cr. That leaves 176 major defaulters — accounting for over Rs140 crore — outside coercive recovery proceedings.The trend is similar in the Rs1 lakh to Rs5 lakh bracket. A total of 1,833 commercial properties fall in this range, with cumulative dues of Rs33.32cr Yet, warrants were issued against only 306 properties involving Rs5.65cr. The remaining 1,527 establishments — responsible for Rs27.67cr — did not face warrant action.In absolute terms, while Rs22.35cr is currently under warrant recovery, a massive Rs167.98cr remains beyond the reach of the strongest enforcement mechanism available to the civic body.The figures raise troubling questions. Why are nearly 83% of commercial defaulters yet to face warrant proceedings? Why was coercive action initiated against barely 1 in 6 properties? More importantly, why are 77% of high-value defaulters — those owing over Rs5 lakh — still operating without warrant pressure?Commercial properties form a crucial revenue backbone for the NMC. Unlike residential units, these establishments generate business income and are expected to comply strictly with tax obligations. Yet, thousands continue functioning while crores in public revenue remain locked in arrears.At a time when the NMC routinely cites financial constraints for infrastructure upgrades, road repairs and drainage projects, the muted pace of warrant generation appears inconsistent with the urgency of revenue recovery.The numbers tell a blunt story: enforcement touched only the surface. Unless the civic body significantly expands warrant action against commercial defaulters, the message remains clear — defaulting carries limited immediate consequences, and compliance is not being uniformly enforced.
