Under severe flak from various quarters over the controversial allotment of 2,000 sq meter flat to actress-turned-politician Hema Malini at a “throw-away” price, the BJP-led Maharashtra Government has made up its mind to revoke a Government Resolution (GR) issued in 1983 that enabled allotment of land and subsidised rate for cultural and educational purposes.
Official sources said here on Friday that after revoking the 1983 GR, the State Government planned to come out with a new set of fresh lease rules to ensure higher rates on allotment of State-owned plots.
In Maharashtra, as per the 1983 resolution, the State Government has been allotting land for educational and cultural purposes at 25 per cent of rate prevalent in 1976.
Confirming his Government’s plans to have a relook at the 1983 GR, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis stated in a message sent to RTI activist Anil Galgali that the State Government would annul the GR and “come out with new policy based on new market rate”.
Fadnavis told Galgali that his Government would take a formal decision at the next week’s State Cabinet meeting.
Fadnavis’ brief communication to Galgali came in response to a letter that the latter had written to the Chief Minister.
Galgali, who exposed the allotment of land to Hema Malini at a nominal rate, had demanded changes in the 1983 land lease policy. He had told the Chief Minister that owing to this policy, the State Government was losing considerable revenue. He said that because of all such types of allotments in the past has resulted in several crores of rupees to the State exchequer by crores during the 35 years.
Sources said that the Chief Minister had asked the urban development and revenue department officials to prepare a new lease policy for allotment of land for cultural and education purposes at “ready reckoner” rates than the one that is prevailing now.
The new land lease policy would to a large extent put an end to the practice of doling out largesse to prominent personalities from cultural and educational fields at nominal rates.
Though the State Govt has decided in principle to revoke the 1983 GR under which Hema Malini was granted 2,000 sq meter land at Ambivali in Andheri, it is not clear yet as to at what rates that the State Government would allot the land to the yesteryear actress.
Earlier, it had come to light through a reply to an RTI query raised by Galgali that the state government had allotted allotted 2,000 sq meters of land at the rate of Rs 35 per square meter —which meant that the actress was to get the prime piece of land at a throwaway price of Rs 70,000.
On her part, Hema Malini said here on Monday that she was not grabbing any land as was being made out and that she would abide by all rules and make necessary payment for the acquisition of the plot.
“I am not grabbing any land. I do not know why people are writing things like land grabbing etc.. I have struggled for getting this land. It is my right to have this place. I have been asking for it for the last 20 years. Everybody was keen to give it me, but somehow it had not happened. I will follow whatever the laid down procedure for acquiring the land,” Malini had said.
“I have not paid anything as of now. I will follow all the rules and regulations of the government. Why speculate the price when I don’t know myself how much I have to payIJ Whatever will be the cost I will pay it,” she had said.
Malini addressed the news conference in the wake of an allegation made by the Opposition Congress that the BJP-led saffron alliance Government had allotted the land at a throwaway price of Rs 70,000.
The actress had also said: “My main concentration would be on Bharatanatyam, Odasi and Kathak. I will give importance to all forms of classical dances. As far as teaching dances to actresses in Bolly-wood, I have not thought of anything. May be one class a week... But, it is my dream to teach classic dances to
everyone”.
The actress has been allotted 2,000 square metres land for setting up her dance institute. Besides this, she has to develop a garden on the remaining 27,000 square metres land at Ambivali in Andheri.
“I am getting 2,000 square metres land for building dance institute — Natyavihar Kalake-ndra Charity Trust,” she said.
The actress said that apart from setting up the dancing academy, she also had to create a garden there and hand it over to the Mumbai civic body. “The garden is besides creating the dance academy... So it is like a white elephant for me,” she said.
Countering the Congress’ allegation that the BJP-led Government had flouted rules to allot land to Malini, Revenue Minister Eknath Khadse had said last week: “The state government has not violated any rules in the allotment of land to Hema Malini”.