Mumbai: The BMC's Assessment and Collection Department has compiled a list of 500 defaulters, which includes names of prominent real estate developers, government corporations, and even civic offices.
According to civic calculations, the pending dues up to March 2010 amounted to Rs 3,242 crores, which have now escalated to Rs 5,397 crores after the addition of penalties over the last 15 years. The civic body has now served notices to attach some of these properties.
As per BMC regulations, property taxes must be paid within 90 days of receiving the bill. If payment is not made within this period, the BMC issues a final warning notice with a 21-day deadline. Following this, the civic body has the authority to take stringent actions, such as disconnecting water supply, confiscating properties, and auctioning assets to recover dues.
Vishwas Shankarwar, Joint Municipal Commissioner, stated, "The list of defaulters is prepared every two months. Most of the firms clear their outstanding amounts after attachment notices; however, if they fail to clear their dues, we can take steps such as seizure and auction."
Due to the complexities involved in gathering evidence against defaulters, the BMC has enlisted the help of a professional institute to assist in the recovery process. To expedite the recovery process, the BMC has decided to auction the defaulters' profitable, non-movable assets. I
n a bid to crack down on these large defaulters, the civic body has claimed to have attached 3,095 properties, worth Rs 3,981 crores out of which 25 have already entered the auction process, said a civic official.
Meanwhile, the BMC's list of defaulters, which FPJ has a copy of, includes names such as Raghuvanshi Mills with Rs 45.54 crores, Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) Land and Estate with Rs 156.63 crores, the BMC Property Tax Department with Rs 116.54 crores, Kamala Mills with Rs 22 crores, Mumbai Metro One with Rs 18.37 crores, J. Kumar Infra with Rs 17.28 crores, and the BMC's Market Department with Rs 8.17 crores.
The civic body has also sent attachment notices to DBS Realty and Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC), confirmed civic official.
