The University of Mumbai has found itself on the defensive over its decision to give five acres of land on its Kalina campus on lease for `75 lakh for a period of eight months to a private for a film shoot allegedly without seeking necessary permission from the Maharashtra Government.
Having obtained information through an RTI query that the University of Mumbai had leased out five acres of land on its Kalina campus to M/s Siddhesh Enterprises for film Shooting, activist Anil Galgali has written to State Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari, chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray and State Education Minister, demanding a high-level inquiry into the alleged irregularities in the Mumbai University’s decision to give its land on lease for a film shoot
Quoting a reply received from the University for his RTI queries, Galgali said here on Wednesday that Ashok Ghule, Deputy Secretary of the University had informed him that the University had not written to the Maharashtra government seeking permission to give out 5 acres of land on the Kalina campus on a lease for eight months for a film-shoot. “Similarly, no tenders were invited for allotment of five acres of land for a feature film shooting at Mumbai University,” he said.
Galgali said that it was highly improper of the University management to have such a wrong precedent by leasing out its land for a film shooting. “If the University had taken the state government's permission, adopted proper procedures and invited tenders before leasing out its land, the University would have earned several crores of rupees as revenue towards lease.”
Because, the rental charges at Filmcity at Goregaon in Mumbai is higher. The University should have found out the rates at Film City”. “I have a strong reason to believe that some politicians are behind the whole thing. That’s why I have written to the Governor, chief minister and Education Minister demanding a high-level inquiry into the University to lease out five acres of its land for a film-shoot without following proper procedures,” Galgali said.