In a significant development, the Colony Forum has appealed to the Panvel Municipal Corporation’s (PMC) Commissioner Prashant Rasal to issue new property tax bills without penalties and interest to property owners. This follows a Supreme Court order that did not mandate punitive measures against property owners for non-payment of property taxes.

The Supreme Court's ruling applies specifically to the house owners in societies and federations that filed the petition, requiring them to pay property taxes within two months. However, the Panvel Municipal Corporation has imposed penalties and interest on property owners for the financial years 2021-2022, 2022-2023, and 2023-2024, prompting a strong objection from the Colony Forum.

A delegation from the Colony Forum, including Leena Garad, Madhu Patil, Bapu Salunkhe, Arun Jadhav, Kushal Rathod, and Ashwini Suryavanshi, met with Commissioner Rasal on May 28. They submitted a statement urging the authorities to rescind the punitive bills and issue new ones without penalties. They argued that the Supreme Court's order did not authorize such penalties and emphasized that the matter of property taxes levied by the Panvel Municipal Corporation since 2016 is still sub-judice.

The Forum highlighted that the petition is currently pending in the Bombay High Court. Despite this, the municipal authority has issued bills with penalties, which the Forum finds unacceptable. They also noted that instead of issuing bills for the upcoming financial year 2024-2025, the Municipal Corporation has requested payment for the six months from April 1, 2024, to September 30, 2024.

In addition to their meeting with the Commissioner, the Colony Forum has sent letters to MLA Prashant Thakur, MP Srirang Barane, and Maval Lok Sabha candidate Sanjog Waghere, advocating for penalty-free bills for property owners.

The Forum has warned that if their demands are not met, they will escalate their protest. This could involve 31,000 property owners from the original Gavthan area and approximately 250,000 property owners in the CIDCO Colony participating in a non-cooperation movement inspired by Mahatma Gandhi. They argue that the double property tax is unjust, illegal, and harmful to both colonists and villagers, especially when applied retrospectively.