Under the leadership of Chief Minister, the work at MMRDA seems far from being transparent. Pendency of over Rs 2,000 crores recoveries has left MMRDA exasperated, while incurring expenses of Rs 1.5 lakhs towards litigation as per information provided by MMRDA to RTI activist Anil Galgali. Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance Industries Limited, Naman Hotels, Raghuleela Builders and India Newspaper Society are amongst those dragging MMRDA to courts.
Galgali had sought information from MMRDA with regards to legal expenses on hearing of the court cases filed by leaseholders of MMRDA’s “G” Block including Reliance Industries Limited, Naman Hotels, India Newspaper Society amongst other.
MMRDA legal department has informed that in various cases filed by Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance Industries Limited, M/s Naman Hotels, India Newspaper Society and Raghuleela Builders Limited in Mumbai High Court, Advocate General of Maharashtra Ashutosh Kumbhakoni attends on behalf of MMRDA towards which Rs 1.5 lakhs has been paid until now as professional fees. At first, it was Raghuleela Builders who dragged the MMRDA administration to court on September 26, 2017. Naman Hotels on October 12, 2017, India Newspaper Society on November 29, 2017, and Reliance Industries Limited filed petition on November 30, 2017.
“It is binding that failure to complete construction of project within stipulated time attracts extra premium to be paid and also addition to the charges for additional FSI. Rather than paying dues to MMRDA, the leaseholders have rushed to the court. If MMRDA would have taken timely action and stopped work, it would have saved lakhs of Rupees being spent on legal expenses. I felt at the root is negligence on part of some officers of MMRDA,” Galgali said.
