Aamby Valley sealed, reopened after agriculture dues are paid

Minister for revenue Eknath Khadse confirmed that the Aamby Valley administration had paid part of the taxes and that action had been withdrawn.

The revenue department on Tuesday took action against Aamby Valley City located near Lonavala in the Pune district over non-payment of outstanding agriculture tax and sealed the entrance door in the morning. However, the gate to the city was opened after owners Sahara Group paid Rs 2,53,41,610 on Tuesday afternoon. While the revenue department claimed that the dues were more than Rs 4 crore, Aamby Valley City administration claimed that the outstanding amount is merely Rs 27 lakh.

Aamby Valley, the first planned township of the country, was developed by Subrata Roy, chief of Sahara Group, who is behind bars for illegal collection of money from investors without permission of Security and Exchange Board of India (Sebi).

Resident nayab tehsildar of Mulshi tehsil in the Pune district, Nagesh Gaikwad, reached Aamby Valley on Tuesday morning with other officials and sealed the entry gate of the city. Mr Gaikwad said, “We took action against the city according to provisions in law as the city has not paid agriculture tax of Rs 4.84 crore.” He further clarified in the evening that the city authority had paid Rs 2,53,41,610 and hence the seal had been removed.

Minister for revenue Eknath Khadse, while speaking with mediapersons at his office in Mantralaya, confirmed that the Aamby Valley administration had paid part of the taxes and the action was withdrawn.

“The Pune collector has informed us about the payment made by Aamby Valley authorities. The city administration paid Rs 1 crore in cash and an equal amount by cheque to the revenue department by afternoon and hence the seal of the gate was removed,” said Mr Khadse. Meanwhile, Aamby Valley City clarified that they are liable for agriculture tax worth Rs 27,27,740 lakh. “Tax of Rs 2,26,13,870 will be liable for payment by the closure of the current financial year that will end on March 31, 2016. Therefore, we still have 30 days left for payment. However, we have paid by cheque at the insistence of the department,” read a statement by Aamby Valley City. The outstanding amount of Rs 2,53,41,610 (including outstanding dues of Rs 27,27,740 and Rs 2,26,13,870 for the current year 2015-2016) was paid by cheque on Tuesday.

Stating that the city authority had made a payment of Rs 4.25 crore for the financial year 2013-14 and 2014-15, the statement said that the sealing of the gate was illegal and that it could be attributed to the high-handed approach of the revenue department.