Pune: Developers involved in illegal construction will have to pay extra property tax as a penalty, said Pravin Shende, a senior official of the building permission department of Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC).PMC will recover the expenses of demolishing these constructions by imposing an additional tax on the developers’ other properties. “The move aims not only at the recovery of expenses, but also at creating a deterrence. This will help in curbing illegal constructions, as the developers will not be able to get away with it. We will intensify the action in the days to come,” added Shende.According to PMC officials, they have issued notices to developers to repay the expenses of demolition, but the developers have paid no attention to them. Only a handful of developers have made the payment.PMC spends money on manpower as well as machinery for demolition. This includes workers and heavy vehicles such as earthmovers and jaw cutters. Rent, fuel expenses, and daily wages for workers are paid by PMC while carrying out the operations. Fees for police protection are also paid when conducting demolition drives. For a typical 1,000 sq ft illegal construction, the estimated demolition charge levied by PMC comes to around Rs 1 lakh.Civic data shows that between 2020 and 2026, PMC building permission and enforcement departments issued 24,000 notices under the Maharashtra Regional and Town Planning (MRTP) Act against unauthorised structures across various zones.Experts and activists point out that illegal construction is driven by a combination of key factors. The influx of people into urban areas creates a massive demand for affordable housing, while soaring land costs compel buyers to turn to cheap, unapproved buildings. Opportunistic developers take advantage of these circumstances to maximise profits. On top of this, lax oversight by local administration and rural civic bodies like gram panchayats and PMC, coupled with political interference, hinders swift action against unauthorised developments. “The administration is finding it tough to recover the actual property tax dues. The claims of adding more tax in the name of defaulters will prove to be an eyewash if the recovery is not made,” said Vivek Velankar of Sajag Nagrik Manch, a citizens’ group.
