The bustling Mantri Square mall, a prominent landmark in Bengaluru's Malleswaram area, faced a sudden closure today as revenue officials from the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) sealed its premises over unpaid property tax dues exceeding Rs 50 crore.
This action marks the latest development in a series of confrontations between the municipal authorities and the mall management. The BBMP has taken the drastic measure of suspending the mall's trade license, citing prolonged non-payment of property taxes spanning several years.
BBMP officials, accompanied by marshals and law enforcement, arrived at the mall early Friday morning, promptly proceeding to enforce the closure. A notice, affixed conspicuously at the entrance, invoked Section 156 of the BBMP Act 2002, combined with a circular issued on December 6, 2023, to justify the action. Despite multiple demand notices sent to the mall management, no satisfactory response was received, according to officials.
The closure comes as a disappointment to patrons who had planned to spend their holiday at the mall, taking advantage of the occasion of Basava Jayanti. Faced with locked doors, customers were compelled to seek alternative shopping and entertainment destinations elsewhere in the city.
This isn't the first time the BBMP has resorted to such measures; the mall has been sealed on multiple occasions in recent years, with the most recent closure occurring on March 16, just hours prior to the announcement of Lok Sabha elections. The ongoing dispute underscores the challenges faced by commercial establishments in meeting their civic obligations amidst a complex regulatory environment.
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