‘Couldn’t find post-1991 agreement’

The Maharashtra government on Thursday told the Bombay high court that no agreement beyond 1991 between the government and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for lease of the land at Nariman Point area, where the party’s state headquarters is located, could be found.

The division bench of Justice A.S. Oka and Justice C.V. Bhadang is hearing a PIL filed by ‘Nariman Point Churchgate Citizen Welfare Trust’ seeking action against “illegal” structures constructed by political parties and other government departments.

The high court had, on Wednesday, demanded to see the agreements executed between the state and the party for the lease of the land. The government pleader on Thursday said that the only agreement he could “lay hands on” was for 1,200 square feet of land for the period between 1989 to 1991, and no agreement for further period could be found. To the court’s question, he also said there was no lease agreement pertaining to the additional more than 1,400 square feet, which was allotted to the party later.

BJP’s lawyer S.U. Kamdar, however, said the government had granted extension for the lease from time to time and at present the party was paying over `24,000 per month in rent to the government.

The petitioners have alleged that while the party had been allotted 2,682 square feet, the existing building has over 9,000 square feet.

They have also taken to offices of other political outfits in the area. The judges, referring to the submission by the petitioner’s lawyer that it was time the political parties vacated the premises they are occupying in the area originally reserved as a green zone, remarked that “Bombay is short of open areas” and the BJP and other respondents should consider this point and submit a reply. The hearing was adjourned for further arguments to March 1.