The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has issued a ₹22.03-crore demand notice to the iconicTaj Mahal Palace Hotel for occupying public roads and footpaths with security infrastructure installed after the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks.
The notice pertains to heavy security barricades, bollards and planters erected around the Colaba property in June 2009. According to civic records, the security installations occupy approximately 800 sq. metres of public road and over 1,100 sq. metres of footpath.
The civic body had earlier granted the hotel a 50% concession on road occupation charges and a full waiver on footpath fees in 2020, citing national security considerations. However, the concessions were withdrawn by the BMC Administrator in May 2025 as part of a policy to uniformly recover occupation charges from institutions using public spaces for security installations.
The move follows a similar case involving the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), which reportedly cleared its outstanding occupation dues after the concession policy was withdrawn.
The BMC has warned that failure to clear the outstanding amount could attract an interest penalty of 15% per month.
Meanwhile, representatives of the Taj Hotel are in discussions with senior civic officials, maintaining that the security infrastructure serves a public safety purpose rather than a commercial one and should therefore remain exempt from occupation charges.
The developmentdevelopment highlights the continuing policy debate over balancing urban land use regulations with mandatory security measures at high-risk public and commercial landmarks.
Source : NEWS18
