Three weeks after the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) announced its plan to auction properties worth ₹8.55 crore to recover pending property tax dues, not a single bid has been received. The civic body had hoped that Mumbai’s prime property locations would attract potential buyers, but despite multiple inquiries, no formal participation has been recorded.
According to civic officials, the auction had been announced on October 1 under Section 200(2) of the Mumbai Municipal Corporation Act, 1888. This provision allows the sale of properties belonging to defaulters for the recovery of unpaid taxes. It was also noted that five properties had originally been listed for auction. Out of these, a Vile Parle property with tax dues and penalties amounting to ₹19.36 crore had cleared its outstanding balance after the public notice.
The remaining four properties—comprising land parcels, commercial shops, and a residential structure—are still up for sale. These include Shanti Sadan CHS in Chunabhatti (2,570.33 sq. m), a Housing Bombay Commissioner’s property at Subhash Nagar in Chembur (3,073.14 sq. m), a mixed-use unit on Abdul Rehman Street (1,648.07 sq. m), and Rajani House in Borivali (624 sq. m).
An external agency had been appointed to conduct the online auction process. Registration for interested bidders was opened on October 10, but none have registered so far. It was stated by officials that although several inquiries were made, the lack of actual bidders was unexpected given the prime nature of the locations. The civic administration, however, remains hopeful that bidders may still come forward in the final week before the deadline.
The online auction, which is set to take place on October 29 at noon, will mark the first such exercise by the BMC in more than four decades. If participation remains low, the civic body has indicated that an extension of the deadline might be considered.
Officials explained that the move to auction properties was part of a broader effort to address the mounting tax arrears in the city. Mumbai’s cumulative unpaid property tax amount has reportedly reached ₹22,000 crore, inclusive of penalties accrued over the last fifteen years. Some of these cases are said to date back as far as 2010.
The auction, therefore, has been viewed as a significant attempt to enforce fiscal discipline and strengthen the corporation’s revenue base. Civic authorities have expressed confidence that public participation may improve before the deadline and that the initiative would eventually encourage defaulters to clear their dues voluntarily.
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