How many thousands of crores have been
paid to the politicians and babu's for this scam to go unnoticed for 23
years. It will be naive to think, Hirananadani is going to accept these
acccusations without bringing down the house. These same allegations
should be levied on the Raheja's for selling Jodi flats in the Malad(w)
link road area where they have destoryed all the mangroves. These scams
are part of the Indian scenario and nothing will be learnt. The Satyam
case provides enough evidence that whistle blowing on these scams are
just lip service to further personal agendas. The Indian legal and
political system is of the rich, for the rich and by the rich. All the
common man can do is to be vigilant and aware and not get caught up in
this cesspool of corruption. In the past some reports have suggested
Hiranandani was given the Powai land at 40 paisa per sq ft. The
government officials who approved this paperwork should be prosecuted
before Hiranandani. If someone approves such a deal, any moron with an
iota of grey matter will take it. Why blame Hirananandani for a ultra
ineffecient corrupt system ?
By ugesh sarkar, Section Real Estate
Posted on Thu Feb 05, 2009 at 09:38:36 PM EST
In
what could be the highest penalty imposed on a builder for alleged
gross violation of land misuse, the Mumbai Metropolitan Region
Development Authority (MMRDA) has recommended to the state urban
development department that developer Hiranandani Group be made to pay a
penalty of Rs 2,000 crore. Though the developer is yet to receive a
notice of levy for the amount, Niranjan Hiranandani, MD, Hiranandani
Group, has denied the charge in totality, stating that the state agency
was unaware that no development in the area had been done without
obtaining the necessary permissions and sanctions of government
departments.
Meanwhile, the metro authority has charged the
builder with constructing large apartments instead of the 40 sq m and 80
sq m flats, for which permission was accorded. The second charge is for
building commercial complexes in violation of the original agreement
and the third, an add-on penalty component, for utilisation of transfer
of development rights.
Hiranandani said development rules and
notifications, since the 23-year-old Powai Area Development Scheme,
comprising 92.2 hectares, was signed, had undergone changes and
consequently implemented after sanctions during different periods. The
MMRDA has used the current ready reckoner rates to compute the alleged
violations to arrive at the penal sum of Rs 1,993 crore.
The
Powai Area Development Scheme was not classified under any scheme for
weaker section / lower income group of the society, he said adding that a
Bombay High Court decision in 2005 stated that the development at Powai
was not for any weaker section / lower income group of the society and
the same does not apply to the said lands.
On increase in the
size of tenements, Hiranandani said the scheme came after a tripartite
agreement was signed on November 19, 1986. Under the agreement, there
was a condition restricting sizes of the tenements. However, the MMRDA
permitted the amalgamation of tenements as per its order dated August
18, 1989.
The larger premises were constructed utilising transfer
of development rights subsequently, when the TDR concept was introduced
in 1991. During the period when the tripartite agreement was executed,
the development by TDR was not available.
The Bombay High Court is hearing public interest litigation petitions pertaining to the project development.
The
MMRDA has also recommended that all concessions extended to the builder
be withdrawn, to which Hiranandani said he had not availed himself of
any concessions thus far.
