Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) auctioned five properties in Lakadganj Zone and realised Rs 166 lakh that would be adjusted against the property tax arrears. This is the first major crackdown on defaulters of property tax on part of civic body in the financial year. With repeated appeals and warnings failing to work, the Property Tax Department attached the properties, mostly vacant plots, in a bid to force the owners to clear the outstanding tax amount.

 

However, as warnings failed to have effect, NMC went ahead and published the date of auction of attached properties. About 19 properties were listed for auction as the civic body officials were frustrated at owners nonchalant attitude. To show that they mean business, NMC conducted the auction and that time 5 property owners intervened in nick of time and offered part of the pending amount to buy time to repay the entire outstanding. Nine other property owners also expressed readiness to clear the dues and sought some time from Lakadganj Zone officials.

 

The properties were in Mouza Pardi and Mouza Nagpur and the 14 property owners have been granted time till October 10 to clear the due or NMC would proceed with auction to recover the tax. The auction process was handled by Tax Superintendent Roshan Ahire, Tax Inspector Bhushan Motghare, Manish Taywade, Lalappa Khan, Sagar Balpande, Suryakant Rewatkar and Thakre under direction of Assistant Commissioner Vijay Thool.