Mayor bldg given to memorial after due process, says BMC

Mumbai: The BMC has filed an affidavit in the Bombay high court stating that the mayor’s bungalow land allotted for the Thackeray memorial was given after following due process of law. It also stated that the petitioner had not challenged amendments made in the Municipal Corporation Act (amended) 2017, and hence, the petition should be dismissed.  

A division bench of chief justice Manjula Chellur was hearing a PIL filed by activist Bhagwanji Rayani, opposing allotment of the bungalow for the memorial. The petition stated that the allotment was in violation of the 2013 Supreme Court order, and a circular issued by the Centre in 2014. Rayani in his petition said that no memorial of any leader should be constructed on land allocated for a government bungalow. 

Parag Masurkar, assistant commissioner, estate department of BMC, on Thursday filed an affidavit saying that the state government had taken a decision to lease out the said plot at nominal rate of interest for the memorial of Sena founder, late Balasaheb Thackeray. The state government had established a committee in December 2014 with regard to the memorial, and the said committee in May 2015 proposed to allot the mayor’s bungalow for the memorial. The proposal was accepted by the state, and in January 2016, a letter was addressed to the commissioner to transfer lease for the memorial.

The affidavit stated that in January 2017, the government issued an ordinance to convert the mayor’s bungalow into the memorial at nominal rates and a 30-year lease with a premium of Rs 1. Subsequently, the BMC also amended the act and allowed leasing of land for 30 years. The affidavit stated that the petitioner had not challenged the amended section and only opposed the memorial, and hence, the petition should be dismissed.