‘Can’t compare Adarsh scam with Worli stadium revamp’

Bharucha made this statement subsequent to a contention by the lawyer representing the petitioner,Owen Menzes,that the sanction to the stadium was given by P V Deshmukh,who had also cleared the controversial Adarsh Society as deputy secretary of the UDD.

Demanding to know why the petition was filed after most of the construction work had been completed,Bharucha said,“Although no injunction order has been passed,we have held up the reconstruction work of the stadium only because we fear that the money of the members will go down the drain if there is a demolition order.”

The petition has been filed by an NGO named SPEAR (Society for Promotion of Equality,Awareness and Rights). It claims that the stadium falls under the green zone as per the Development Plan of 2001,and also that the reconstruction of the stadium does not have the sanction of either the MoEF or the Maharashtra Coastal Zone Management Authority.

Contending that the stadium was earlier an open ground for the general public,the petition claims,“The NSCI has usurped the land in the guise of redevelopment.” However,during the hearing on Tuesday,Bharucha argued that the stadium was “never a public space” and was earlier a cycling arena. The hearing will continue on Wednesday.

‘Plot next to Adarsh society not owned by BEST’

The plot adjoining the controversial Adarsh Housing Society was not owned by the Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) undertaking,stated former MLC Kanhailal Gidwani on Tuesday before the commission formed to probe the scam involving the society. “I only found out that the BEST undertaking did not own the plot. I did not try to find out if the plot in question was in authorised or unauthorised possession,” Gidwani told the two-member panel on Tuesday. On the issue of additional floor space index (FSI),Gidwani admitted it was not necessary for him to write to the Chief Minister asking for extra FSI when the architect of the society had not given any such advice. During the hearing,Gidwani was criticised by the judges after he gave a series of non-committal replies while being questioned by the counsel for the commission Dipan Merchant. On Tuesday,Justice P Subramanian expressed his displeasure and gave warning to Gidwani to not give evasive replies.