The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has earned around ₹259 crore from property tax in the Mohammadwadi area over the past six years, from 2018 to 2024. However, residents claim that there are discrepancies in the tax collection, as the amount collected seems low, and there is also an outstanding due of ₹129 crore.

Sunil Koloti, a resident of Nayati Wind Chimes, Undri, said, "I filed an RTI and sought information on the outstanding amount of ₹129 crore. The civic body has collected ₹259 crore in taxes, but the data shared by them doesn't look precise. We have been paying property taxes, yet we are still deprived of basic amenities like clean drinking water, proper roads, footpaths, streetlights, and electricity. Despite paying taxes, we are forced to pay for water tankers. We get water in our area for only 15-20 minutes a day, and we have to rely on tanker water. During the summer, the situation becomes even more dire. The streetlights are not properly lit, and we still don't have proper roads in our area. It is shameful that even after so many complaints and follow-ups, no solution has been delivered."

Harshad Datre, a resident of Undri, highlighted that the Mohammadwadi and Undri areas have 40 percent of the population of people who have either served or are serving in the defense services.

Residents speak up

"They are serving the nation and have sacrificed their lives, but still they are deprived of basic amenities. I won't say that there has been no development. I have been living in this area for almost seven years now, and the infrastructure is improving, but at a very slow pace. We get water for 30-40 minutes, and 90 percent of the water demand is met by tankers. The road in front of Delhi Public School has been under construction for the past eight months and will take another six months to complete. The pace of development here is slow, while the population is increasing day by day. It's the need of the hour to speed up development so that people don’t suffer."

Anand Manaktala, a resident of Innova Park Town, Undri, said, "We are paying property tax, yet we face frequent power cuts. I live at the farthest end from where the electricity is sourced. Our power station is in Undri Goan. Our area has been merged since 2017, but still, development and amenities are lacking. I have been in Pune for the past 10 years. I wish I knew the language better; I understand Marathi, but I can’t speak it fluently. If I could, I would have stood for the election and addressed these issues. It's difficult when you don’t have water from the taps, face frequent power cuts, and deal with bad roads. Earlier, I lived in Kharadi, and the situation was quite similar. But after about 10 years, things improved there. I hope we get similar solutions here as well."

Letter to PMC

Residents of Mohammadwadi and Undri have written a letter to Pune’s Municipal Commissioner Rajendra Bhosale, stating, "The residents of this area, some of whom have been living here for the last 20 years, strongly feel that this area is being neglected. In spite of paying huge property taxes, there are no benefits in terms of amenities."

Madhav Jagtap, Deputy Commissioner of the Taxation and Tax Collection Department, said, "We collect taxes from that area as it falls under PMC jurisdiction. We will be taking action against those who have not paid their property taxes. The area is under development, and it will take some time to complete the work."