Pune civic body's notice for property use information goes unheeded

The Pune Municipal Corporation's (PMC) recent appeal to citizens to come forward and disclose information about residential properties being used for commercial purposes has seen limited response. Out of the vast jurisdiction, which includes merged villages, PMC estimates that approximately 50,000 properties are being unlawfully utilized for commercial businesses. However, the civic body's call to action has so far resulted in the identification of only 73 such properties.

To tackle the issue, PMC has established a dedicated war-room to identify and address such irregularities promptly. The civic body has urged citizens to provide essential details about these properties, including their addresses and locations, via the WhatsApp number 8308059999.

Ajit Deshmukh, the head of PMC's property tax department, emphasized the seriousness of the initiative, stating, "The tax department, in collaboration with the building permissions department, has initiated this campaign. Owners of residential properties found to be operating commercial ventures will be subject to additional taxes."

Initially, PMC had made a voluntary request to property owners, including those of wadas, to declare if they were using their residential properties for commercial purposes. However, this appeal received an underwhelming response. As a result, the civic administration plans to impose additional property taxes on both occupants and owners of these properties found in violation of the law.

In response to growing concerns, Civic Commissioner Vikram Kumar issued a circular outlining the consequences of illegal commercial activities in residential areas. The circular stated, "Many illegal food joints have been identified, operating from residential properties without obtaining any clearance from the building permission department. As per legal provisions, defaulters will be liable to pay three times the property charges."

The circular also highlighted the displeasure expressed by numerous civic organizations, local leaders, and residents regarding such unauthorized commercialization. The businesses being run from residential properties range from monthly mess facilities to restaurants, hotels, bars, and pubs, with many establishments blatantly disregarding regulations and causing disturbances by operating late into the night.

To aid in the detection of illegal property usage, the civic administration has collaborated with the Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited, using data from commercial electricity meter installations.

Activists have called for a more robust system from the civic administration to identify those responsible for such illegal practices. Vivek Velankar of Sajag Nagrik Manch stated, "It is PMC's responsibility to identify such properties and take action. Additionally, the administration should prioritize action against significant tax defaulters to recover substantial dues."

This story was earlier published by ET Realty

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Pune civic body's notice for property use information goes unheeded

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