Kalyan-Dombivli Municipal Corporation Seals School Over Massive Property Tax Dues
In a decisive enforcement action, the tax department of the Kalyan-Dombivli Municipal Corporation (KDMC) sealed the administrative offices of G R Patil School and Junior College in Titwala on Tuesday. The drastic measure was taken due to the institution's persistent failure to clear property tax arrears amounting to nearly Rs 1.3 crore, accumulated over several years of default.
Years of Default and Escalating Penalties
According to KDMC officials, the school had been defaulting on its mandatory property tax payments for multiple financial years. While the management made a partial payment of Rs 57 lakh approximately two years ago, the substantial balance remained unresolved. The situation was further aggravated because the school building is constructed without proper authorization, leading KDMC to impose a significant penalty at the rate of 24% on the outstanding principal amount. This penalty calculation inflated the total liability to the current figure of Rs 1.3 crore.
Despite receiving repeated formal notices from the municipal corporation, the school administration failed to settle the dues or propose a viable payment plan. This ongoing non-compliance ultimately compelled KDMC to execute the sealing order under the direct supervision of Tax Superintendent Jayaram Shinde. The specific offices sealed included the principal's cabin, staff room, fee counter, and the main management office. Corporation officials have made it unequivocally clear that the seals will remain in place until the entire pending amount is paid in full.
School's Plea and Operational Crisis
Headmistress Vidya Kamble acknowledged the unauthorized status of the school building but stated that a regularization process is currently underway with the relevant authorities. She expressed deep concern over the timing of the sealing action, highlighting that it coincides with a critical academic period. Preparations for final examinations are in full swing, and the Secondary School Certificate (SSC) practical and oral examinations have already commenced for the students.
"All our essential academic records, administrative documents, and financial papers are locked inside the sealed offices," Kamble explained. "Our teaching and administrative staff have been forced to relocate their work to regular classrooms, causing significant operational disruption."
She described G R Patil School and Junior College as an unaided, self-financed institution that primarily serves over 550 students from economically weaker sections of the community. Kamble made an urgent appeal for administrative intervention, warning that the continued sealing of these core offices could severely disrupt daily school functions and negatively impact the ongoing examination process for hundreds of students.
Dispute Over Penalty Charges and KDMC's Stance
In her defense, Headmistress Kamble claimed that a substantial portion of the Rs 1.3 crore demand, approximately Rs 1 crore, comprises penalty charges levied by the corporation. "We have formally requested KDMC officials to consider reducing this heavy penalty burden," she said. "However, they cited the closure of the previous Amnesty Scheme and declined to offer any relief or waiver on the penalty component."
KDMC officials, on the other hand, have reiterated their firm stance. They maintain that all recovery actions are being undertaken strictly in accordance with established municipal rules and regulations. Compliance with property tax obligations is mandatory for all property owners within the corporation limits, and no exceptions can be made, officials stated.
Broader Context: KDMC's Aggressive Revenue Drive
Tuesday's sealing action is not an isolated incident but part of a broader, intensified revenue recovery campaign launched by the Kalyan-Dombivli Municipal Corporation. The corporation has set an ambitious revenue target of Rs 750 crore for the 2025–26 financial year. With collections currently standing at around Rs 300 crore, the tax department has significantly accelerated its recovery measures in recent weeks.
This push follows the department's relief from various election-related duties, allowing it to focus fully on revenue mobilization. A series of stringent steps against tax defaulters has been initiated, including issuing final demand notices, attaching properties, and sealing commercial and institutional premises that have persistently ignored payment obligations. The action against G R Patil School serves as a prominent example of this renewed enforcement drive aimed at ensuring fiscal discipline and meeting annual revenue goals.
