The Urdu Teaching and Research Centre, Transmission Building, and UPSIDC premises are locked after repeated notices were ignored
NEW DELHI – In Lucknow, the Municipal Corporation has taken strong steps to collect long-overdue house tax by sealing three important buildings. On Monday, teams under Municipal Commissioner Guru Kumar and Additional Municipal Commissioner Pankaj Srivastava sealed the Urdu Teaching and Research Centre, the Transmission Building, and the Uttar Pradesh State Industrial Development Corporation (UPSIDC) building in Zone 4. This action came after many notices were sent, but no payments were made.
Zonal Officer Shilpa Kumari led the team that carried out the sealing. Officials say these institutions owed large amounts in house tax for a long time and did not respond to warnings. Employees working in the offices were asked to leave, and after completing all legal steps, the buildings were locked with seals.
The biggest amount is against the Urdu Teaching and Research Centre, which owes ₹1.24 crore in total house tax. The Transmission Building has pending dues of ₹2.23 lakh. The UPSIDC building owes ₹52.73 lakh. Together, these add up to crores of rupees that the corporation says should have been paid earlier.
Shilpa Kumari explained the reason clearly. “Despite repeated notices and giving time for payment, these defaulters did not clear their dues. We had no choice but to take this strict action to recover the tax money owed to the Municipal Corporation,” she said.
The sealing happened in Zone 4, where the corporation has been focusing on big defaulters. Staff from the offices were removed from the premises so work could not continue until the issue is sorted. This move is part of a wider drive by the Lucknow Municipal Corporation to improve tax collection and make sure everyone pays what they owe.
Many people in Lucknow see this as fair, since the same rules apply to all, including government-linked bodies and research centres. But some worry about how it affects daily work. The Urdu Teaching and Research Centre is important for promoting and studying the Urdu language, with teachers and researchers who now face problems. UPSIDC handles industrial development in the state, so sealing its building could slow down projects. The Transmission Building, likely linked to power or utilities, adds to concerns about services.
A local official from the corporation stressed that this is not targeted at any group. “We follow the law for everyone. Notices were given many times, and time was provided, but nothing happened. Sealing is the next step under the rules,” he said.
The corporation has been active lately in such actions. In recent months, it has sealed other properties, frozen bank accounts, and taken similar steps against defaulters, including some government or semi-government ones. For example, in February, the bank accounts of one corporation were seized and a power substation sealed over dues of over ₹2.92 crore. This shows a pattern of getting tough on unpaid house taxes to boost city funds.
For the sealed buildings, owners or heads must now pay the full amount, plus any extra charges or interest, to get the seals removed. Until then, the premises stay closed, and no entry or work is allowed.
This incident highlights the pressure on institutions to clear municipal dues on time. In Lucknow, where the corporation needs money for roads, cleaning, and other services, such recoveries help a lot. But for those affected, like staff at the Urdu centre who promote language and culture, it brings sudden hardship.
Community voices from Lucknow’s Urdu-speaking areas feel the pinch most, with the Urdu Teaching and Research Centre involved. “This centre does good work for our language and education. Sealing it over tax issues hurts everyone who values Urdu,” said one teacher who works nearby but did not want his name used. He hoped for a quick solution so classes and research could restart.
The Municipal Corporation says more such actions may follow if other big defaulters do not pay up. For now, the three sealed buildings stand locked, a strong reminder that house tax must be paid, no matter the institution.
