In a surprise move early today, the Maharashtra government sealed the gates of Amby Valley, a 10,600-acre hill station built and owned by the Sahara Group near Lonavala for non-payment of ₹4.52 crore worth of tax dues.

The gates were re-opened later in the day after Sahara paid up the outstanding amount by cheque today.

Speaking to BusinessLine , Saurabh Rao, District Collector, Pune, said that the Tahsildar of Mulshi taluka had sent notices to the Sahara Group in November last year regarding non-payment of dues but had received any response.

The Group had today issued a cheque for ₹1.5 crore and given post dated cheques (till March 28) for the remaining amount. Following this action, the gates of the hill station were re-opened.

A spokesperson for Sahara said termed the sealing of the hill station illegal and there seemed to be some confusion regarding the unpaid amount.

A statement from the Group said the amount outstanding for the 2014-15 fiscal was ₹27 lakh, while it still had another month to clear the ₹2.26-crore tax due for 2015-16.

The outstanding amount of ₹2.53 crore was however paid today, the statement added.

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