Times of India: Mumbai: Thursday, 21 August 2014.
Not an inch of the 48,560 sq m of land in Andheri
(E) reserved for policemen has been handed over by the state government, Arup
Patnaik, director-general of police and managing director of the Maharashtra
State Police Housing and Welfare Corporation, has told the Bombay high court.
Patnaik on Tuesday responded to a PIL filed by
activist Ketan Tirodkar seeking eviction of occupants of three Worli Sagar
housing societies Sukhada, Shubhada and Purnima so that their flats can be used
as quarters for the constabulary.
Using the RTI Act, Tirodkar learnt that in June
1988 six plots were allotted to private housing societies of politicians and
bureaucrats in lieu of an assurance that around 48,560 sq m of land in
Ambivali, Andheri (E) would to be given for housing the constables. This was
never done. Patnaik has supported Tirodkar's petition.
He said the corporation was set up 1974 and the
six plots were among the number of plots allotted by the government. He said
the company availed of loans from financial institutions by mortgaging its
share capital land. Thereafter, the government in June 1988 unilaterally
resumed the six Worli Sagar plots. He said as compensation for withdrawing the
six plots, the government in 2005 allotted land measuring 48,560 sq ma Ambivali
as well as cash compensation of Rs 4.22 crore. Patnaik states that in reality
there is only 10,910 sq m of land vacant and that too not handed over to the
corporation. He said the remaining land is occupied by private parties.
Patnaik also affirmed that "not a penny"
of Rs 4.22 crore compensation has been received and adds it would amount to
nearly Rs 35 crore if calculated with conservative interest rates. The court
granted the three Worli Sagar housing societies time to file their replies.
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