Chhindwara (Madhya Pradesh): The Chhindwara Municipal Corporation has initiated measures to attach the property of Asaram Ashram due to non-payment of property tax running into several lakhs of rupees. Municipal Commissioner Rahul Singh has directed the Revenue Officer to the necessary steps at a review meeting of the Revenue Department.
The Corporation officials have found that the Ashram audit report has been pending for over three years. As a result, they have asked the organisers of the Ashram for submitting the necessary documents in this regard. The officials said recovery will be made based on the proofs and documents submitted by the Ashram regarding any exemptions they get.
Municipal Corporation's Revenue Officer Sajid Khan said that Asaram's land and property in Chhindwara city are located in Ward No. 46 and Ward No. 3. He further said that property tax of ₹ 4,80,986 is outstanding in Ward No. 3 Khajri Road, while Ward No. 46 Parasia Road Property tax of Rs 9,88,401 is outstanding in K Asaram Gurukul which is also in the name of Ajay Rasiklal Shah Shakti Traders.
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Such social service institutions get tax exemptions for rendering educational and other services. The audit report of this has been sought by the Municipal Corporation so that if there is any provision of exemption in tax from the government, recovery will be done after looking at it. One month's time was given to the Asaram Ashram and Gurukul to complete the documentary process and deposit the tax.
Asaram's ashram has been built on about 65 acres of land in Khajri of Chhindwara, in which hostels for the children of Gurukul, houses for the servants and organic and natural farming is done on the rest of the land. So, on the other hand, Asaram Gurukul operates on Parasia Road on about 15 to 20 acres, the tax of these properties has to be paid to the Municipal Corporation, which has not yet been deposited.
Asaram Ashram got embroiled in controversies beginning with Chhindwara Gurukul itself. The victim, on whose report Asaram was convicted, was a student of Asaram Gurukul in Chhindwara. She had completed her studies from class 9th to 12th while staying in the Gurukul itself. The plan to rape the victim was hatched in Chhindwara itself.
The victim, who complained of rape in the Ashram, was a student of class 12 in Asaram Gurukul, Chhindwara. During that time the victim and her brother were studying in this Gurukul and the victim was taken to Jodhpur from Chhindwara Gurukul itself.
