PCMC recovers only 30% its dues of properties on rent

PUNE: Even as the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) on the one hand is trying to impose new taxes on citizens to increase its annual income, on the other, it faces the daunting task of recovering dues from defaulters who have been allotted various municipal properties on rent. The PCMC has been able to recover only 29.65 per cent of the dues from defaulters who were allotted municipal properties like shops in vegetable markets and shopping complexes, cultural halls and others. Speaking to TOI, Subhash Machare, worker welfare officer and assistant commissioner, PCMC, said the civic administration has intensified the drive to recover the dues from defaulters who were allotted municipal properties like shops in vegetable markets and shopping complexes, cultural halls and others from December 2008 onwards. The PCMC has started sealing the shops and other properties for which the dues are not cleared. Machare said, "The total pending dues till Jan 31 was Rs 6.41 crore. The PCMC has recovered dues of Rs 1.90 crore. Still, dues amounting to Rs 4.53 crore are pending." Speaking to TOI, Dominic Lobo, convenor, Common People's Front (CPF) said, "There is a vested interest of corporators and civic officials in not recovering the dues. There is a provision in the Bombay Provincial Municipal Corporation (BPMC) Act that the municipal corporation can seal the properties rented to people if they do not pay the dues. The PCMC should seal all the properties given on rent to people who have not paid their dues."