PMC to contest ropeway ruling

When the issue had come up for discussion at the civic general body meeting on the same day, the then municipal commissioner Ramanath Jha had recommended that the civic body should either work out a compromise with the company or contest the ruling.

Majority of the elected members had felt that the PMC should contest the ruling. Later, the standing committee had sanctioned the estimated expenses for seeking legal counsel in the matter.

When contacted by media persons here today, PMC8217;s legal advisor Ravindra Thorat informed them that the administration had appointed advocate Rohit Kapadia from Mumbai and Vijay Mujumdar from Pune as its defense counsels in the case. They would file a civil suit in the Pune district court next week, he added.

Thorat claimed the PMC8217;s case was sound as it had never consented to the appointment of Justice Pendse as sole arbitrator in the matter. The BCCC had not even taken the mandatory sanction of Bombay High Court for his appointment. The company8217;s claim to damages with a high rate of interest was hypothetical since financial losses claimed were based upon its projections for the future, he added.