Saint community resents attachment notices to Varanasi mutts, temples over tax arrears

Varanasi (UP), Dec 17 (PTI) 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 it unprecedented, Mahant Balak Devacharya of Patalpuri Mutt said that a number of monasteries and temples in Kashi have been served attachment notices earlier this week for arrears of house tax, water tax and sewer tax.

This was probably the first time in the country's history that mutts and temples were being issued attachment notices, he added.

Devacharya said the Patalpuri Mutt alone has received an attachment notice for tax arrears exceeding Rs 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.

Varanasi Municipal Corporation's public relations officer Sandeep Srivastava said the mutts have been served notices as per norms.

The house tax was later waived for the mutts and revised bills were issued, under which water tax and sewer tax remain payable, he said. PTI COR CDN RUK RUK