CSMC officers roll into action; seals properties to recover tax

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: In a strict administrative decision, the Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar Municipal Corporation (CSMC) administration has issued orders to all the zone offices to seal the properties of any commercial property owner with tax arrears exceeding Rs 1 lakh. In line with this directive, the action has been commenced by zone offices on Tuesday.

Today, the Zone No 1 team sealed five shops located in the Deodi Bazaar, Kasari Bazaar, City Chowk, and Sarafa areas. Out of these, three property owners deposited their dues immediately through demand drafts, and their properties were unsealed. However, two properties remained sealed due to non-payment of tax arrears.

Earlier, the CSMC administrator G Sreekanth issued orders to ensure that property tax and water tax collections reach Rs 500 crore by March 2025. All zone offices have been assigned specific targets to achieve this goal. Although the collection figures have shown an increase compared to the previous year, the administration remains unsatisfied with the progress. The administration has imposed compound interest of 24% on overdue property tax payments, and it has also discontinued the 75% discount on interest that was offered to defaulters over the past four years. As a result of these stricter measures, many property owners are evading tax payments, leading to challenges in achieving the targeted revenue.

Over the past one and a half years, the administrator and the assessor and collector of tax Aparna Thete have extensively used modern technology to bring untaxed properties into the tax net. Tools such as Google Maps and drone surveys have played a key role in this effort. Property owners who are unwilling to cooperate in paying their taxes are being identified and taxed based on drone survey data. With the beginning of December, the administration has intensified its tax collection drive to ensure better compliance and revenue recovery.

On Tuesday, Zone No. 1 team led by officer Sanjay Suradkar, sealed five shops in the market area due to tax defaults. Out of these, three property owners paid their dues immediately through demand drafts, and their seals were removed. However, the seals on the two properties remain in place. A total of Rs 4,55,000 was recovered from three property owners, while Rs 3,06,000 is yet to be collected from the remaining two. The administration has intensified its recovery efforts to ensure timely payment of pending taxes.

Property sealing and seizure orders

The CSMC deputy commissioner Aparna Thete said, “All ward offices have prepared lists of property owners with arrears ranging from Rs 1 lakh to Rs 10 lakh or more. Based on these lists, the administration has begun a recovery drive. The commercial property is sealed directly, while for the residential property, first seizure notices will be issued and then further action will be initiated.”