The latest government notice to Navi Mumbai housing societies to pay up a long pending and much forgotten Non-Agricultural Tax, is being dubbed as the Kumbhakaran Tax' by the citizens with a sense of satire.

"This tax demand by the Thane tehsildar is nothing but a Kumbhakaran tax, as the officials have woken up after 17 years (just like the mythological giant, Kumbhakaran) to charge it, said developer Nalin Shah.

Several old societies from Vashi node in sector 17 have been asked to pay up Rs 2 lakh and Rs 3.50 lakh as the NA tax.

The state officials have cited staff shortage for not being able to collect this tax earlier from the satellite city.

The secretary of Moraj Residency off Palm Beach Road, Ramesh Tripathi, said: "We are already paying so many taxes. We also have to procure the commencement certificate and occupation certificate from the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation for the residential buildings. This new tax is totally wrong."