‘Symbol of love’: Taj Mahal gets water, property tax notices

India’s most popular tourist destination Taj Mahal known as the ‘symbol of love’ has been slapped with notices for water and property tax.

In a first of its kind instance, the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) as per media reports has received a notice from the Agra Municipal Corporation demanding that it pay Rs 1.47 lakh in house tax on the Taj Mahal.

An immense mausoleum of white marble, built in Agra between 1631 and 1648 by order of the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his favourite wife, the Taj Mahal is the jewel of Muslim art in India and one of the universally admired masterpieces of the world’s heritage.

R K Patel, the superintendent of ASI Agra, is currently seeking guidance from the ASI directorate regarding the matter because the notice specifies that the tax must be paid within 15 days.

Itmad-ud-Daulah, another ASI-protected monument and potential candidate for World Heritage Monument status, also received a notice of this nature.

According to the notice given to the ASI, the unpaid house tax as of March 31, 2022, was Rs 88,784, plus Rs 47,983 in interest.

For the fiscal year 2022–2023, a house tax charge of Rs 11,098 has been assessed, bringing the total to Rs 14,7826, which must be paid within 15 days.

The Taj Mahal is a world heritage site and a property of the central government, according to Vishal Sharma, secretary of the Agra Tourist Welfare Chamber, who expressed shock at the notice.

Approximately 102 years ago, in 1920, the Taj Mahal was designated as a protected monument, according to him. Since that time, the ASI has never previously received a house tax notice for the monument.