Mumbai, March 8 -- The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has issued long-term e-auction notices to the owners of 34 properties, including vacant land, commercial buildings, hotels and mixed-use premises, for failing to clear property tax dues. The civic body said the 34 defaulters collectively owe Rs.548.69 crore in pending property taxes. Of the 34 defaulters who received notices, the civic body chose to put up 11 properties for e-auction. However, a senior civic official said that, for now, only six properties have been put up for e-auction, because as soon as the process began, five other property defaulters cleared arrears of Rs.10.45 crores and managed to stall auction action against them. The six properties currently listed for e-auction include Jayant Oil Mill, which includes an oil mill and godown office at Mazgaon; a 1,193 sq.m land parcel in Sewri owned by Laxman Shetye and Gopal Shetye; and a property owned by Bhikhabhai Upadhyay consisting of a house, shops and offices with a carpet area of 1,650.73 sq.m on Turner Road in Bandra. Also listed are a 1,053 sq m commercial property in Malad (East) owned by Bachoobhai Daschow & Co; Hotel Imperial Palace in Goregaon owned by Amir Parks and Amusements; and a 3,537 sq m residential plot in Dahisar (East) belonging to the Veekaylala Investment Group. Some of these defaulters had also approached courts to stall the action against them, but were directed to clear their outstanding dues. According to a civic official from the BMC's assessment and collection department, "The auction notice process started around February 4 following which a few defaulters cleared dues. This is part of the special campaign undertaken to take concrete and decisive action for property tax recovery." The official added that the bidding process would be open for seven days and the civic body would keep extending the deadline until bidders are found. The BMC had also listed two more properties for e-auction, a hospital in the name of Sardar Syedna Tahir Saifuddin with dues of Rs.21.03 crore and a commercial property with dues of Rs.13.47 crore. However, a representative from the Syedna's office told HT that the properties do not belong to them. "We have nothing to do with these two properties listed in our names. These were sold off over five decades ago. However, the property card names were not changed and continue to bear our names. We have nothing to do with them," said a representative from the Syedna's office....