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.
