Varanasi

Members of the saint community on Wednesday expressed strong resentment over the Varanasi Municipal Corporation issuing attachment notices to several mutts and temples in the city over pending tax dues.

Calling the move unprecedented, Mahant Balak Devacharya of Patalpuri Mutt said a number of monasteries and temples in Kashi were recently served attachment notices for arrears of house tax, water tax and sewer tax.

“This is probably the first time in the country’s history that mutts and temples are being issued attachment notices,” he said.

Devacharya said the Patalpuri Mutt alone has received an attachment notice for tax arrears exceeding ₹2 lakh. Monasteries and temples should not be brought under the tax net, he said, warning that the saint community would launch an agitation if the issue was not resolved at the earliest.

Responding to the concerns, Varanasi Municipal Corporation Public Relations Officer Sandeep Srivastava said the notices were issued as per prescribed norms.

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He clarified that house tax levied on the mutts has since been waived and revised bills have been issued, under which water tax and sewer tax continue to remain payable.