Mid-Day:
Mumbai: Tuesday, 21 July 2015.
Reliance
Industries Ltd owes Rs 341 crore to Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development
Authority as additional premium charges at a joint property being developed in
the posh BKC area here, shows an RTI query.
The amount is
penalty on the Mukesh Ambani-led company for failing to develop the C-66 plot
in G Block, named as One BKC. It was to be developed within four years as a
commercial building with car park.
The
information, given by MMRDA to RTI activist Anil Galgali, showed that the
amount has been due for the past 34 months.
When
contacted, an RIL spokesman faulted the developer, Raghuleela Builders Pvt Ltd with
which MMRDA and RIL have a tripartite agreement to develop the property - for
the delay in construction, which is now almost complete.
RIL also
disputed calling the payment delay as "default", saying the developer
has time to make the payment till the time of seeking occupation certificate
(OC).
"The
delay in payment can't be referred to as default since as per RFP (request for
proposal), the lessee can make the payment along with interest, if any, before
final completion certificate is granted," the spokesman said in a
statement.
Galgali had
filed an RTI query with MMRDA seeking details of the plot of the new business
district in the central part of the megapolis in September 2008.
The state-run
planning agency for Mumbai, in its reply, has said plot No C-66, ad-measuring
10183.18 square metres, was leased to RIL on September 27, 2008 for Rs 918.03
crore and allowed development of 30,550 sq metres of commercial space and
20,366 sq metres for public parking.
But Reliance
failed to develop the plot within the stipulated timeframe and as per land
disposal policy, it owes an additional premium of Rs 341 crore to MMRDA, said
the RTI reply, furnished by an official of Town Planning Division.
The RIL
spokesperson said: "Plot No C-66 (G, Block, BKC) is being developed by Raghuleela
Builders under a development agreement as per the prevailing lease deed/RFP
conditions. This is duly permitted by the MMRDA."
RIL also said
the property is almost complete and only some final touches are pending, and
the company and the developer have time to pay the charges till they seek the
OC.
Apart from
One BKC, Reliance is also building a huge convention centre in the business
district, where it has already developed a public park named Jio Park nearby,
which was recently dedicated to the city.
An MMRDA
official told PTI that "the land lease deed was executed on September 27,
2008 and the company (RIL) had to start work before September 26, 2012. But it
failed to do so and started attracting additional premium to us despite sending
reminders".
He added that
the company had sought extension for completing the work and "we granted
it too, still RIL has failed to develop the plot and has not been paying the
additional premium charges to MMRDA".
Meanwhile,
Galgali has demanded MMRDA issue a immediate stop-work notice to RIL and
recover the additional premium first with interest and penalty. He said:
"I have written a letter to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and
Metropolitan Commissioner U P S Madan over this brazen violation of rules and
have demanded exemplary action against RIL."
Dilip
Kawathkar, Joint Director for projects at MMRDA, did not reply to the calls and
messages.
.JPG)
.JPG)
