The Hindu       24.03.2017 

Thane Corporation seals 72 Reliance cellular towers

Cracking the whip:TMC officials seal Reliance cellulartowers in Thane on Thursday.Special Arrangement  

Company failed to pay Rs. 18.72 crore in property tax dues

The Thane Municipal Corporation on Thursday sealed 72 out of the 80 cellular service towers installed by Reliance Communications.

On Wednesday, TMC Commissioner Sanjeev Jaiswal issued instructions to seal all 80 towers in the city after the company failed to pay Rs. 18.72 crore in accumulated property tax dues since 2011-2012. “We initiated the sealing process on Thursday morning, and by evening, had sealed 72 of the 80 towers. The action will continue till all the towers are sealed,” TMC Public Relations Officer Sandeep Malvi said.

On Thursday afternoon, a team of representatives from Reliance Communications visited the Thane Corporation headquarters and met senior civic officials.

Sources said the TMC’s top brass made it clear that the sealing would not stop, and it would be undone only after Reliance paid all of its pending dues.

HC, SC dismiss pleas

The TMC’s action came after a series of repeated reminders to Reliance Communications as well as a court battle. The company had earlier moved the Bombay High Court seeking that it should not have to pay property tax, but its petition was dismissed by the HC, and by the Supreme Court subsequently.

Following the SC order, which came in February this year, the TMC had issued one more reminder to Reliance Communications, asking it to pay its pending dues by March 21. When the company failed to respond, instructions were issued to seal the towers. The move is expected to affect cellular services of Reliance customers in Thane.

The Thane Corporation is also exploring the legal grounds of filing a contempt petition against Reliance Communications chairman Anil Ambani for not paying the pending dues, despite the HC and the SC directing the company to do so.