Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis announced on Wednesday that the State Government was setting up one-member committee to look into the alleged “commercial use” of a plot allotted to Associated Journals ltd (AJl), publisher of National Herald, for setting up Nehru Memorial library and Research Centre in Mumbai.
Responding to queries at a news conference held at Nagpur, Fadnavis said: “Having taken cognisance of reports in the media that there have been violations with the regard to the land allotted to the National Herald in Mumbai, the State Government has decided to institute a one-member committee to inquire if the violations have indeed taken place. If yes, we would like the committee to probe the kind of violations that have been committed. We have not decided on the name of the person who will conduct the inquiry”.
“If the committee finds irregularities or violations in its probe, then we will take action against the company concerned. If no violations are not found, we have no plans to act in a politically motivated manner against any one,” the Chief Minister said.
Fadnavis’ statement came nearly a week after BJP’s Mumbai unit president Ashish Shelar claimed that the State Government had already ordered an inquiry into the alleged change of user of the land allotted to AJl.
According to Shelar, the Maharashtra government had allotted 3478 sq meter of land to AJl at Bandra on the Western Express Highway for setting up Nehru Memorial library and Research Centre. “But, no construction was taken up on the plot till 2013. That year, however, permission for “commercial construction” was accquired from the Mumbai Municipal Corporation and an 11-storeyed “Congress Bhavan” is being built there,” the city BJP chief had said.