NAVI MUMBAI: The Bombay high court on Monday restrained the Panvel City Municipal Corporation (PCMC) from taking any coercive action against any property tax defaulter till June 10, this year. Separate writ petitions were filed by Kharghar Forum, the Kharghar Cooperative Housing Societies Federation and Kamothe Forum against the PCMC, seeking cancellation of property tax bills from October 2016 to financial year 2021-2022, and effecting it retrospectively.
“We moved the Bombay high court on non-compliances of procedures to be followed before raising the bills as per the Maharashtra Municipal Corporation Act, and retrospective implementation of property tax. The first property tax bill was served to Kharghar node, in February 2021,” said Cdr SH Kalawat (retired), general secretary, Kharghar Cooperative Housing Societies Federation.
The Kharghar Forum, headed by suspended BJP corporator Leena Garad, has moved the high court over double taxation citing the service charges levied and collected by Cidco and the property tax bills served by the PCMC.
“Our writ petition on the property tax issue was also clubbed in the hearing by the high court and forms part of the order,” said Mangesh Adhav, president, Kamothe Forum. “Two high court verdicts and one Supreme Court verdict disallowing retrospective tax collection are the citations given by our federation,” added Kalawat.
High court judges A A Sayed and Abhay Ahuja heard the three writ petitions by clubbing them. The judges have granted the liberty to approach the court if any coercive action is taken by the PCMC. “Hence we request all ‘Not to Pay Property taxes’ to the PCMC till the final decision is taken by the HC,” said Kalawat.
