The Bombay high court on Saturday issued notices to the state and Kolhapur Municipal Corporation regarding a petition by singer Lata Mangeshkar challenging the government’s order declaring her Jayprabha studio in Kolhapur a heritage structure.
A division bench of justices AS Oka and Revati Mohite-Dere directed the state and civic body to file their responses by February 7.
The government on December 29, 2012 passed an order declaring the studio a heritage structure. The 82-year-old singer has alleged that the respondents were trying to harass her in order to grab the property.
Her petition, filed through advocates NV Bandiwadekar and Abhijit Adgule, challenged the decision, stating that due to the heritage status, the studio can’t be renovated, rebuilt or repaired.
She has also contended that neither the state nor the Kolhapur Municipal Corporation had given a notice to her personally before declaring the studio a heritage structure, as required under section 37(1) of Maharashtra Regional Town Planning Act.
Mangeshkar had bought a 13-acre plot in 1959 from renowned Marathi filmmaker Bhalji Pendharkar. He had bought the land from the erstwhile princely state of Kolhapur on the condition that it would be used for building a film studio. Accordingly, Jayprabha studio was built on it.
However, it has become a heritage structure although it is not used at all. A huge chunk of the land has also been given to a developer to build houses.
Bandiwadekar argued that till date no heritage conservation committee had been constituted for the Kolhapur City either by the civic body or by the deputy town planning director while preparing the modification for the conservation of heritage buildings/precinct/natural features.
As per the regulations for the conservation of the heritage buildings/precinct/natural features, the committee ought to have been constituted with effect from the date of the publication of the proposed modification. Hence, the state has erred in approving the modification submitted by the deputy town planning director, contended Bandiwadekar.
On one hand, the corporation said the building was old, had become dangerous and, therefore, should be demolished. On the other hand, it also said the studio was a heritage structure and could not be demolished.
The Kolhapur Municipal Corporation also tried to acquire the property by putting a reservation in respect of Garden and Cultural Centre, but the state cancelled it, the lawyers submitted.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}