Post Diwali,the Bombay High Court is scheduled to hear a public interest litigation filed by a citizens group Public Concern for Governance Trust (PCGT) against the conversion of a 48-acre Mahar Watan land in Wanowrie,worth almost Rs 350 crore,for commercial purposes. Former Revenue Minister Narayan Rane had cleared the conversion. The prime land (survey No 64) had been in the eye of a storm for the past two years,with citizens protesting against the claim of the Harshvardhan Group of Companies on it. The court is expected to take up the litigation after the Diwali vacations. The citizens group is opposing the Ministry decision to convert watan land for commercial purposes. PCGT chief advisor and former chief income tax commissioner S C Nagpal said they were awaiting the court hearing for some months now. We have challenged the government order in favour of the builder. Rane had heard all parties involved in the dispute and given a go ahead to the builder. Harshvardhan Group chairman and managing director Parag Deshmukh said they were also awaiting the decision on the public interest litigation to start their project. The builder has printed brochures on the project,Eledora,showing provisions for shopping malls,multiplex,restaurants,corporate park and a star hotel with exclusive apartment units. The group had put up boards and fences at the site besides posting security guards. PCGT member Ajit Pal said the land could not be given for commercial purposes as Watan land could not be sold. An RTI query had revealed that the land was reserved for ring railway,high capacity mass transit route and playground earlier. NIBM Residents Forum convenor and secretary Sushil Kumar said such a land should be used for public use. The Revenue and Forest departments had,on July 8,2008,stayed the sale of the land,which in effect renders null and void the sale of the land on June 17,2009. Later,a section of watandars had said that only two of the seven signatories were present on the day of the sale. A Mahar Watan land is granted to people by the government and cannot be sold without the permission of the divisional commissioner/district collector. Another stay order was passed last year,rendering the agreement between the collector and watandars null and void. It was also mentioned that no group can put up fences or show ownership of land until further orders. However,Rane had ruled in favour of the builder when the case went before him. The land still flaunts boards despite the status quo ordered.
