State panel asks NTC to withdraw Bharatmata eviction order

According to the committees order,the NTC will now have to withdraw its eviction notice served to Bharatmata and 17 other such establishments within the premise within four weeks. “The committee observed that the NTC had served the notice even when a Government Resolution stating that all the structures existing on or before January 1,2000,should be protected. The committee has now asked the NTC to withdraw or a blanket ban would be issued against all the development work within the compound,” said Bhopatkar’s lawyer Nimesh Mehta.

The committee,consisting government officers,was formed under the chairmanship of retired Justice V B Chauhan and under the Development Control (DC) Rules for monitoring and development of mill lands in the city.

“It’s a very positive order at the time when the there is a statewide protest to preserve the Marathi culture. The committee has looked into the aspect we had contested before the civil court. We are protected under the Rent Act. We were allotted the land to run a cinema hall and we been doing it. Now we will have to see what the NTC decides and then take a call if its essential to appeal the civil courts order before the Bombay High Court,” Bhopatkar said.

Bharatmata Theatre was built in 1936 and the land on which it stands had been given to the Bhopatkar family by the India United Mill Limited to set up a theatre that would exclusively show Marathi movies for the recreation of mill workers.