A letter sent by the civic body's A-ward to the hotel on June 18 mentions that it should pay the amount within the next 15 days, failing which the BMC will clear the encroachments without further notice.
The Taj Mahal Palace and Tower hotel will have to cough up Rs5.5 crore as charges to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) for occupying a public road and a footpath with flower pots and barricades.
A letter sent by the civic body's A-ward to the hotel on June 18 mentions that it should pay the amount within the next 15 days, failing which the BMC will clear the encroachments without further notice.
According to the letter, the dues include charges for the construction of planters on roads and using the road space for the hotel's exclusive parking on Mary Weather road and Mahakavi Bhushan Marg as well as the unauthorised use of the footpath around the hotel.
This is not the first time that the civic body has asked the hotel to pay up for encroaching on the road. On April 9, dna had reported that the hotel was asked to pay the BMC dues amounting to Rs2.13 crore for occupying the road space.
"It is regretted that despite repeated reminders, personal discussions and meetings, you have failed to pay the necessary municipal dues to this office," the letter stated.
Assistant municipal commissioner of A-ward Chandrakant Chore confirmed the development and said the cumulative cost for using the footpath since 2009, which amounts to Rs4.78 crore, has now been added to the previous dues. "They will have to pay around Rs5.5 crore as municipal dues," he said.
The letter further stated that after a recent meeting municipal commissioner Ajoy Mehta had instructed that no footpath can be blocked by any installation and in case of security threats, the party concerned should take necessary, suitable security measures, in consultation with the police authorities, without causing inconvenience to pedestrians.
Lalit Jain, a Colaba-based activist who first highlighted the matter, said, "I'm happy that the BMC has finally taken action on my complaint and asked for the road and footpath to be opened."
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}