In Bengaluru, the Bank of Baroda branch and the post office located on the ground floor of the Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Public Utility Building (PUB) on MG Road have been forcefully closed by civic authorities due to their failure to pay rent.
The Bank of Baroda occupies shop no. 14/15, while the post office occupies shop no. 17 within the PUB. According to a senior revenue official of BBMP, the bank has not paid the revised rent since 2011, accumulating a total debt of Rs 17.5 crore. This amount includes Rs 7.6 crore in rent arrears, Rs 1.2 crore in pending CST/GST, and Rs 8.6 crore in accrued interest.
Despite multiple notices and reminders to settle their dues, the bank did not comply, leading to the sealing of its premises by BBMP officials and staff, with police providing security during the process.
Similarly, the post office has been paying the old rent since 2006 but failed to pay the revised amount. As a result, it now owes Rs 2.3 crore, including Rs 93.2 lakh in rent arrears, Rs 10 lakh in pending CST/GST, and Rs 1.2 crore in interest.
The decision to seal both premises was made following directives from the eastern zone commissioner. The sealing process was carried out early in the morning on a Saturday at 6:45 am, marking the culmination of efforts by civic authorities to enforce compliance with financial obligations.
