New Delhi: The world’s popular tourist and heritage site, Taj Mahal has been issued a notice of property tax and water bills worth Rs 1 crore from Agra Municipal Corporation. This is the first time when the hertiage site in its over three-century history got property tax and water tax notice.


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According to officials of the ASI, a notice for water tax and one for property tax has been issued.The ASI has been asked to pay around Rs 1.40 lakh and Rs 1 crore as property and water tax. Another heritage Itmad-ud-Daulah has also been issued property and water tax notice.  


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ASI has been instructed to pay any outstanding debts within the next 15 days; else, the Taj Mahal would be "attached" if the tax is not paid on time. The notice also contains interest for prior tax obligations that were unpaid. 


While speaking to media outlets, ASI superintending archaeologist Raj Kumar Patel said, "property tax is not applicable on monuments. We are also not liable to pay taxes for water as there is no commercial use of it. Water is used to maintain greenery within the premises. Notices related to water and property tax for Taj Mahal have been received for the first time. It could have been sent by mistake."


A mausoleum of white marble, Taj Mahal was built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in Agra on the banks of Yamuna between 1631 and 1648 in remembrance of his beloved wife Mumtaz. The unqiue masterpiece is a UNESCO heritage site. The international body declared it a heritage site in 1982. One of the popular toursist destinations in the world, over 1 lakh people from different countries come to view Taj Mahal every year.