Nagpur: The Supreme Court on Friday issued notices to state government, CM Devendra Fadnavis and others over a plea seeking cancellation of plot lease allotted to Maharashtra Rashtrabhasha Sabha at Shankar Nagar by the Nagpur Improvement Trust.
While hearing a plea by Citizen Forum for Equality president Madhukar Kukde, justices Ranjan Gogoi and R Bhanumati, asked the respondents to reply by July 4.
State urban development department secretary, Pune based director and deputy director in Nagpur, ex-CM Sushi Kumar Shinde, NMC commissioner, NIT chairman, Sabha vice president Girish Gandhi, Prajakta Developers, SMG Hospitals chairman Datta Meghe, Wockhardt Hospitals and CBI director are other respondents.
The petitioner through counsel Tushar Mandlekar challenged Nagpur bench of Bombay High Court’s order of September 7, 2016, in PIL (No-47/2013) contending that it had erroneously refused cancellation of plot lease. His explanation for delay in challenging the order was accepted and delay in filing the Special Leave Petition (SLP) was condoned.
Kukde pointed out that Sabha had virtually handed over the plot measuring 1.14 acres, worth crores of rupees, to SMG Hospitals owned by Meghe. He claimed that SMG had a revenue sharing agreement with Wockhardt Hospitals which is illegally running the hospital there without NIT’s permission. The area was handed over to Sabha for Hindi Language promotion, but was it was being misused for commercial activities.
The senior citizen added that the HC ignored this transaction which was against the public interest, as Sabha was hardly getting just over Rs7.01 lakh while the SMG Group and Wockhardt Hospitals are pocketing crores since last decade. The HC also ignored illegal user change from public utility to commercial one at Sabha’s instance by ex-CM and bypassing objections of NIT and Town Planning.
Instead of cancelling lease, the HC only directed to reassess occupation charges, held enquiries against those committing illegalities in the deal. The HC also directed NIT to reconsider whether it’s in public interest to renew the lease when it would expire on March 31, 2021.
Kukde claimed that the Sabha had long abandoned its objective of Hindi promotion and now just remained a front for SMG Group and Wockhardt Hospitals who are profiting illegally.
He brought to fore NIT's demand of Rs163 crore from Sabha. It was however challenged before minster of state for urban development, Dr Ranjit Patil, who brought down to just Rs8.07 crore, thus directly benefiting the respondents. Though petitioner challenged minister’s decision in the HC, NIT was reluctant to do so, despite facing loss of crores in revenue.
Kukde prayed for cancellation of plot lease and vesting of the hospital in NIT or government’s control.