Pune | September 9, 2026
A Pune Municipal Corporation proposal to give its administration greater authority to write off certain property-tax arrears is set to come up for discussion before the civic Standing Committee, prompting opposition from leader Nilesh Nikam, Loksatta – Pune reported on Wednesday.
According to the report, the civic administration has submitted a proposal seeking authority under Sections 485 and 152 of the Maharashtra Municipal Corporations Act. The proposal covers corrections to duplicate entries, typing mistakes and minor administrative errors in property-tax records, as well as the writing off of arrears considered uncollectable from property owners.
Nikam alleged that the proposal would effectively transfer powers currently exercised by the Standing Committee to the municipal administration. He warned that granting the administration such authority could cause significant financial losses to the Pune Municipal Corporation and increase the possibility of irregularities.
The opposition leader said the administration already had powers under Section 485 to correct notices, bills and minor administrative errors in property-tax records. However, he maintained that the power to write off arrears that cannot be recovered under Section 152 rests exclusively with the Standing Committee and requires its prior approval.
The reported proposal seeks to allow the administration to exercise both sets of powers. Nikam said that if the Standing Committee approved the transfer, future property-tax write-off matters might not come before the committee for formal approval. Instead, he alleged, they could be placed before it only for information or review.
The disagreement centres on the distinction between correcting errors in municipal records and waiving or writing off tax dues. The administration’s proposal, as described in the report, links the two functions in a single framework. The opposition has objected to the proposed arrangement on the grounds that decisions affecting recoverable municipal revenue should remain subject to committee scrutiny.
Property tax is a key source of revenue for urban local bodies, while inaccurate records and duplicate entries can create problems for both taxpayers and municipal officials. The supplied report does not provide the total value of arrears covered by the proposal, the number of affected property records or the detailed safeguards proposed by the administration.
The Standing Committee was scheduled to discuss the matter on Wednesday. The committee’s decision, the final wording of any approved delegation and the scope of the administration’s authority were not available in the supplied report.
