HC uneasy with ‘bureaucratic lethargy' in revenue matter

The municipal body entrusted with Mumbai's vast finances "should take decisions at lightning speed in revenue matters, not at the pace at which bureaucracy pushes files", observed the Bombay High Court on Wednesday.

- Urvi Mahajani

The court said the BMC is the country's richest civic body and therefore the delay of 1,526 days in filing an appeal in a crucial revenue matter is "unacceptable and inexplicable".

Justice Jitendra Jain was hearing a plea relating to the determination of the rateable value of a property owned by Ashirwad Shelters Pvt Ltd, which directly determines the property tax payable to the BMC. The Small Causes Court, on May 2, 2016, restored the rateable value to Rs7.40 lakh, overturning the BMC's original assessment of Rs1.42 crore, later revised to about Rs30 lakh.