PIL filed at Bombay High Court asks BMC leases to be reconsidered
A public interest litigation (PIL) filed last month by a social activist has grabbed attention in Mumbai. The Mumbai resident moved the Bombay high court over 4,400 leases executed by the BMC, through which nearly 6.48 crore square feet of the city was leased to private entities.
The PIL states that most of the land was leased out at token rates (usually Rs 1 per annum) in the pre-independence era to to promote industrial growth. However, the industries established on the land have either been shut down or shifted out of the city.
The civic officials were allowing the land to be commercially exploited by the lessees even though the public exchequer has not been benefitted.
The PIL has sought direction to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to reconsider these leases and take back the land. It also sought that a retired high court judge be appointed to look into the issue and submit a report to the court on how to ensure the public exchequer did not lose money because of these leases and how to recover the loss caused by the wrongful commercial exploitation of the leased out land.
BMC, Bombay High Court, Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), industrial growth, Lease, leased out land, Mumbai, Mumbai civic authorities, public exchequer, Public interest litigation (PIL), real estate leases, token rates
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