The PMC had launched a special drive to recover arrears of property tax amounting to Rs 19 crore on March 10. A list of 163 individuals and establishments who had not paid property tax till the end of the last financial year had been released. The list included defaulters who were required to pay more than Rs one lakh as property tax.

A statement issued on Thursday stated that 59 out of the list of 163 defaulters had paid up the arrears. Warning notices have already been issued to the remaining 104 who have also been given another five-day period to pay up the arrears. The defaulters include several government establishments like Maharashtra State Electricity Board, Agriculture Produce Marketing Committee, Maharashtra Housing Development Authority and Ground Water Survey and Development. It also include prominent businessmen, traders and builders like Pannalal Lunkad, Vyankatesh Properties Ltd, A B Oswal, Shantaram Sutar, Poona Blind Men's Association, Modern Bakery, P D Tarawade Brothers and Pune City District Congress Committee among others.

Officials said Municipal Commissioner Arun Bhatia has instructed the Tax Assessment Department to expedite the process to auction the properties of the tax defaulters to recover the arrears. Several officials feel that the the speed of special tax recovery drive, initiated by Bhatia in the second week of March had slowed down after his abrupt transfer from the post. After his reinstatement, Bhatia ordered the Tax Assessment department to update the list of tax defaulters. The civic employees were working on the holidays to finalise the list.

Meanwhile, the anti-encroachment squad today continued its action on the illegal mezzanine in the shops by pulling down six structures during the day. The action was taken at Manoj Textiles, Friend Hosiery, Bharatesh, Super Gas and Saheli Saree Centre. The officials said all the shopkeepers had built the mezzanines without permission. About 640 square feet illegal structures were demolished by the squad. Thirty shops on Laxmi Road, which have constructed illegal mezzanines. So far, the corporation has taken action against 16 shopkeepers in two days.