File complain about tax defaulters through SMS

PUNE: The Pune municipal corporation's SMS alert system to detect property tax defaulters is a hit in just 15 days, with citizens sending over 300 tip offs about defaulters and those who are misusing their properties.

"Sending a complaint through SMS is very easy. We get at least 20 such SMSs every day," said Hemant Nikam, head of the property tax department of the PMC. Since the start of the system a fortnight ago, over 300 complaints have been registered. The complaints include misuse of property, evading property tax or hiding details of rented properties.

With citizens' cooperation, the civic administration plans to zero in on defaulters in a big way. "If you know someone who is misusing his property, just send us an SMS. The identity of the complainant is protected which is the reason for such a good response so far," said Nikam.

Nikam said that once they receive a complaint, officials will visit the site and verify the complaint. If found genuine, appropriate action will be taken against the offenders.

Property tax is one of the main sources of revenue for the Pune municipal corporation. The department handles the billing and collection of property tax on residential, commercial, plots and other types of properties - held privately or by the government (state and central) - within municipal limits.

Property tax is the tax charged on immovable or tangible real property, such as land, buildings and permanent improvements to property. All property holders are expected to pay the tax based on the assessment.

Property tax may also include basic house or building tax, plus service taxes such as street tax and conservancy or scavenging tax. It is collected either half-yearly or annually. There are around seven lakh residential properties and 75,000 non-residential properties, and around 24,000 open plots in the city.

The PMC has offered 10% discount on a tax of Rs 25,000 or less while a 5% discount is offered on amounts of more than Rs 25,001 for those who pay the tax before May 31.