Prayagraj: The Prayagraj Municipal Corporation (PMC) has identified 40,000 houses in the city whose owners have not paid property tax for the past three years. The administration would issue notices to all such owners and initiate action against those who fail to comply. The actions include attaching property and disconnecting water supply.The move is aimed at improving tax recovery and ensuring compliance across the city. According to officials, after service of the notice, property owners will be given 15 days to clear their outstanding dues. If the tax is not deposited within the stipulated period, the corporation will initiate attachment proceedings. The notices will be personally served by PMC staff. In cases where occupants are not found, the notice will be pasted on the door or wall of the building, and photographic and video evidence will be recorded as proof of service. Officials said preparations for issuing the notices were almost complete. PMC chief tax assessment officer PK Mishra said the city has a total of 100 electoral wards, of which 20 fall under the extended municipal area. “The population in these wards exceeds 20 lakh. As per records, there are around 2.5 lakh domestic buildings and nearly 22,000 commercial buildings in the city. About 1.49 lakh property owners regularly pay their house tax,” Mishra said. He added that the remaining nearly 40,000 property owners failed to deposit house tax for 3 consecutive years and were placed on the department’s priority enforcement list. The PMC also decided to take tougher measures beyond attachment. Buildings that remain in default even after attachment will face disconnection of water supply and sewer connections. Once disconnected, property owners will have to apply afresh and pay the prescribed charges for restoration, in addition to clearing all pending dues. If taxes related to water and sewer connections are also pending, those amounts will be recovered along with the outstanding house tax. During attachment, sealed buildings will be reopened only after the owner deposits all dues and produces the payment receipts. The corporation has also warned that breaking seals without permission will invite legal action and registration of criminal cases.