Country’s first distillery Mohan Meakin Co to be charged for tax of lakhs

Finally, the authorities of Solan Municipal corporation  has resolved to recover house tax to the tune of lakhs of rupees from the country’s first liquor manufacturing  company Mohan Meakin, situated on Kalka- Shimla Highway at Brewary. The Solan branch of Mohan Meakin, the country’s first liquor distillery company established in Himachal Pradesh’s Solan district, has joined the defaulter list of the Municipal Corporation.  Mohan Meakin Brewery  has reportedly liabilities of tax towards the Municipal Corporation to the tune  of lakhs of rupees. Reliable sources in MC revealed that   the company has deposited only one year’s house tax only once in the last 60 years.  In the general  house meeting of Solan MC, held on Saturday, the  councilors passed a resolution concerning  collection of house tax, pending to the tune of of lakhs of rupees from the company. However, the corporation will take legal opinion before giving recovery notice to the company, so that the way for tax recovery of about 90 lakh can be paved.  Corporation councilor Shailendra Gupta raised the issue in the meeting of the house that with the receipt of this amount, the sources of income of the corporation will increase and development works will be  accelerated. Notably,  the  than British ruler Edward Abraham Dyer had established India’s first brewery in 1855 in Kasauli, Solan.  It established a branch at Brewery near  Solan on Highway.  It was purchased by HG Mickin from Dior in 1887.After independence, Narendra Nath Mohan took over the company and the company was operated under the name of Mohan Meakin.  After the establishment of  first urban body by Himachal government in 1960, the house tax collection process was implemented.  The company has paid tax for only one year till date. Interestingly, the company’s founder NN Mohan and his son Kapil Mohan have also  remained  presidents of the Solan MC.  On the other hand, Municipal Corporation Mayor Poonam Grover said that Mohan Meakin Company has not deposited house  tax  to the tune of lakhs of rupees  to the corporation, regarding which the corporation will first take legal opinion and after the needed lawful process, notice will be lapped to deposit the  pending tax. The company  has been established on one lakh 32 thousand and 409 square meters  land.
  In the initial phase, a total of 205 khasra numbers come under the company in Ber, Padag and Jarai villages.