Nagpur: The Property Tax Department of the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) has revealed alarming data regarding property tax defaulters in Nagpur City. In response to a Right to Information (RTI) query, the NMC disclosed that 50 well-known organizations and individuals owe a staggering Rs 98.74 crore in property tax dues.
Among the 50 defaulters, prominent names include M/s KSL Industries Ltd with tenants such as Pantaloons, Big Bazaar, M/s Life Style International RV Ltd, Reliance Trends Ltd, PVR Cinema, the Village Sale of India, Reliance Digital Ltd, Globus, Nottee Bar and Restaurant, Symbiosis International University Nagpur Campus, Airports Authority of India (AAI) MIHAN India Ltd, Gold Touch Real Estate Pvt Ltd, Subhash Ganpatrao Buty & others through power of attorney holder Gigeo Construction Company Pvt Ltd, Executive Engineer Maharashtra Jeevan Pradhikaran PWD Nagpur, Gangotri Resort and Lawn, among others.
A detailed breakdown reveals that the property tax dues for M/s KSL Industries Ltd, with tenants such as Pantaloons, Big Bazaar, M/s Life Style International RV Ltd, Reliance Trends Ltd, PVR Cinema, the Village Sale of India, Reliance Digital Ltd, Globus, Nottee Bar and Restaurant, amount to a colossal Rs 31.13 crore.
Symbiosis International University has pending property tax dues of Rs 8.15 crore, while the Airports Authority of India (AAI) MIHAN India Ltd owes Rs 9.26 crore. Additionally, Subhash Ganpatrao Buty & others, through the power of attorney holder Gigeo Construction Company Pvt Ltd, owe over Rs 2.21 crore.
RTI activist Sanjay Agrawal had sought information from the NMC’s Property Tax Department regarding total pending property tax dues up to March 31, 2024, and a list of the 50 biggest defaulters. Agrawal also requested information on any written-off dues of the defaulters. The NMC confirmed that no dues of any defaulter had been written off.
According to Sanjay Agrawal, he initially requested the information on April 6, 2024. However, the Department was uncooperative and did not provide the information. Consequently, Agrawal filed an online application to the First Appeal Officer on June 13, 2024. A hearing was held on July 16, 2024, attended by Assistant Superintendent Property Tax and Information Officer Sanjay Dahikar, Roshan Taide, Junior Inspector, and Sanjay Agrawal.
During the hearing, Agrawal informed the First Appeal Officer that the NMC’s Property Tax Department had failed to provide the requested information under the RTI Act. Following this, the First Appeal Officer ordered the NMC’s Property Tax Department to provide all the requested information to Agrawal within three days.
This disclosure has shed light on the significant property tax dues owed by several high-profile organizations and individuals in Nagpur City, raising concerns about tax compliance and enforcement in the Second Capital of Maharashtra.
