Malegaon school seeks stay on confiscation

MALEGAON: Anjuman-e-Tarraqui-e-Taleem (ATT) High School and Junior College management on Monday filed a petition in the Malegaon sessions court seeking a stay on the confiscation notice issued to it by the Malegaon Municipal Corporation (MMC).
"We have approached the Malegaon sessions court seeking direction to the Malegaon Municipal Corporation (MMC) not to use force or any other means to recover the dues it claims the school owes to it", said Ansari Raees Ahmed , president of the ATT.
The MMC in the last week issued notices to over a dozen institutions claiming they owe about Rs 10 crores to the civic body on account of rent.
The biggest defaulters, as per the MMC claims, are the ATT and M.G. Vidyamandir management. The MMC says that the two institutions have never paid the rent to the civic body despite repeated notices, and reportedly owe Rs 2,73,14,432 and Rs 2,65,47,176 respectively to the civic body.
While M.G. Vidaymandir and other institutions are adopting a policy of "wait and watch", the ATT management decided to challenge the MMC claim in court. It says that though there is a dispute over the ownership of the land, the MMC has no right to demand rent from the school management.
"In the lease deed, the corporation signed while handing over the possession of the school to the Anjuman in 1954, it is clearly mentioned that the premises will be used on the payment of Rs.99 per year. Now, the MMC is claiming an amount which has no legal sanctity", Raees Ansari said.
The MMC is currently in a deep financial crisis, because of which it is reportedly unable to pay the salaries of its staff, teachers and pensioners in time. To clear the dues of over 50 crore rupees, the MMC commissioner Latish Deshmukh ordered a campaign last week. The notices to the alleged defaulters were issued by the MMC as part of this campaign.