‘Power company violated lease agreement in Aarey’

The Asian Age: Mumbai: Wednesday, 25 March 2015.

To prove that Aarey Colony will be ruined once opened for development, activists have cited the case of a power company M/s Reliance Energy, in which the company has allegedly violated the condition of planting trees while building a receiving station there.

In a letter written to the chief minister, Godfrey Pimenta from the Watchdog Foundation has demanded that state government cancel the lease and seize the Aarey Colony plot given to the company for breaching the lease agreement.

“Reliance Energy has failed to plant trees on the given plot thereby committing breach of the lease agreement with the government. But neither the BMC, nor the state dairy development department has looked into the matter so far,” said Mr Pimenta.

According to information received under the Right to Information (RTI), Reliance Energy Ltd (formerly known as BSES Ltd) was granted a plot admeasuring 10 acres at Aarey Milk Colony by the state government in 1993 for the purpose of constructing a receiving station.

One of the important conditions in the lease agreement was that Reliance Energy would plant maximum trees on the balance open space in the premises.

“However, apart from constructing a huge training centre, Reliance Energy has constructed residential quarters on the remaining open space instead of planting trees there. This only shows what will happen to Aarey Colony if it is opened for rampant development,” he added.

However, the company has strongly refuted the allegations, saying that rules have been thoroughly followed. A Reliance Energy official said, “The construction on the said plot has been done only after acquiring the necessary approvals, and in strict adherence to the conditions specified by the BMC and the state urban development department. We have also implemented plantation in the available area in order to create green spaces.”

The official also said that eighty saplings had been planted and were well nurtured till they grew into trees. The trees include Ashoka, Mango, Banyan and Coconut.

In addition, the garden and turf have also been developed in the available area on the plot, he added.