The civic body from Thursday started issuing notices to around 30,160 property tax defaulters with dues of over Rs 5,000 to Rs 25,000. Notices were issued to 75 tax evaders on Day 1. The remaining defaulters will also be issued notices within a week.

With less than three months left for the end of the current financial year, the property tax department of the Nashik Municipal Corporation (NMC) is yet to recover 52% of the collection target set for the current financial year. The deadline to pay the property taxes for the current financial year ended on December 31. The civic body has decided to act tough with the defaulters.

Speaking to TOI, an official from the property tax department of the NMC said, "Earlier, we had issued notices to close to 2,531 defaulters with dues of over Rs 25,000. But only 1,500 of them paid their dues amounting to Rs 16 crore, while the remaining 900 defaulters did not pay up despite the issuance of final notices. We are in the process issuing warrants to these 900 defaulters, giving them an ultimatum of 21 days to pay their dues or face legal action by confiscating their movable and immovable properties. They are to be issued warrants in the next 15 days."

He further said, "Now, we have identified around 30,160 property tax defaulters with dues from Rs 5,000 to Rs 25,000. They have total dues worth Rs 29.10 crore. We have started issuing final notices to them from today (Thursday) giving a deadline of 15 days to pay the dues. We issued notices to 75 evaders on the first day. The rest of the defaulters are to be served with notices within a week. Those who fail to pay taxes will face the action; movable and immovable properties will be confiscated."

The civic administration has set the target of collecting property tax of Rs 110 crore, but it was able to collect Rs 47.33 crore by December 31. During the same period last year, the NMC had collected property tax amounting to Rs 48.32 crore. Last financial year 2013-14, the NMC had set a property tax collection target of Rs 105.68 crore, of which it collected Rs 71.74 crore, against Rs 62.73 crore collected in 2012-13.

There are a total of 3.80 lakh properties across the six divisions of the municipal corporation - 40,482 properties in Satpur, 35,529 in Nashik West, 73,108 properties in Nashik East, 77,917 in Panchavati, 86,871 in Cidco and 66,205 properties in Nashik Road division.