The civic body warns of recovery action, including attachment and water disconnection, within 21 days; Trust says educational floors wrongly treated as commercial
MUMBAI – The Minaret Mosque Trust has received a notice from the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) ‘B Ward’ asking it to pay outstanding property tax of Rs 69,94,273. The notice warns that if the amount is not paid immediately, recovery action will begin under the provisions of the Mumbai Municipal Corporation (MMC) Act, 1888.
The trustees have called the notice arbitrary and unjustified. They have responded through a lawyer and approached the local MLA, seeking urgent intervention.
According to the notice, the property located in Memonwara, B Ward, has unpaid property tax, including a fine under Section 202 of the MMC Act.
The notice states that the trust has failed to pay previous dues, including the penalty and has been asked to clear the outstanding amount without delay. It adds that a review will be conducted within 21 days from the date of issue.
If the amount is not paid, the BMC has warned that it may begin recovery proceedings. These include attachment of immovable property under Section 203, attachment of goods under Section 204, notice of inventory and sale under Section 205, and public auction under Section 206 of the MMC Act.
The notice also refers to Sections 211 and 212, stating that the water connection of the property may be disconnected if recovery proceedings are initiated.
Trust Says Floors Wrongly
Marked as Commercial
Trustee Abdul Wahab Merchant confirmed receiving the notice. He clarified that the issue relates to the building adjacent to the Minaret Mosque, where Darul Uloom Muhammadiya is functioning.
“Actually, this is a matter of the building next to the Minaret Mosque where Darul Uloom Muhammadiya is running,” Merchant said.
He expressed shock over what he described as a sudden and steep increase in tax. “The most surprising thing in the notice is that the fourth floor and the fifth floor terraces have been arbitrarily included in the commercial category. Because of this, the tax has increased more than 200 times in the last few years, and that too without any prior notice,” he said.
He questioned the basis of the classification. An educational institution is running there. Students are studying there. What is the justification for putting it in the commercial category?” he asked.
Merchant said the trust had already written to the BMC several times on this issue. “We have sent letters earlier and copies of those letters are with us,” he said.
He added that if a concessional tax code, similar to what is given to other institutions, is applied, the Trust is ready to pay the applicable tax. “Just as there is concessional tax for other institutions, if it is implemented here too, the Minaret Mosque Trust will pay the tax on this building without delay, as it does for its other properties,” he said.
The trust has now responded formally to the BMC notice through a lawyer.
Meeting with MLA Amin Patel
On Wednesday (11 February), the Nazim-e-Ala of Darul Uloom Muhammadiya, Maulana Syed Khalid Ashraf, along with Abdul Wahab Merchant, met local MLA Amin Patel to inform him about the matter.
According to Merchant, the MLA was surprised after hearing the details. “He was also surprised and immediately sent a detailed letter to Joint Municipal Commissioner Vishwas Shankarwar. He has recommended a meeting to resolve the issue,” Merchant said.
The trust will engage with civic officials to review the property classification and settle the matter without further action.
Last year, tight security arrangements were made outside the Minaret Mosque on the occasion of Ramadan, reflecting the mosque’s importance in the local community.
For now, the trust awaits a response from the BMC and higher civic authorities. With the 21-day deadline mentioned in the notice, trustees say they are keen to resolve the matter quickly and avoid any disruption to the educational activities of Darul Uloom Muhammadiya.
