The United Services Club has confirmed that it received trees from the land where Adarsh building was constructed. It has also admitted that there are no records of how many trees were received or transplanted.
The United Services (US) Club has confirmed that it received trees from the land where Adarsh building was constructed. It has also admitted that there are no records of how many trees were received or transplanted.
The club stated this in its reply to Mumbai Citizens Group’s (MCG) query under the RTI. The process to transplant mature trees from the Adarsh land was initiated by Colonel TK Sinha. He was then the golf secretary of the club and also a member of Adarsh.
On July 7, 2005, Sinha wrote to the superintendent of gardens, Jijamata Udyan, on the club’s letterhead, stating: “The United Services Golf Club is willing to adopt 134 mature trees as we have lost a large number of trees in the cyclonic weather last year and this year.”
The MCG wrote to the club on July 15, 2010, asking whether Sinha issued the letter with the approval of the managing committee or the golf sub-committee or the secretary. “Sinha is a member of Adarsh and seems to have written the letter to benefit the society,” the application stated.
On August 16, 2010, the club replied that Sinha’s letter does not have a file number and no file could be found in the golf office on the subject. “In the absence of any linked correspondence, it is difficult to comment on whether any formal approval was taken by the then golf secretary prior to the issue of this letter,” replied chief executive officer Commodore (retd) Aspi Marker.
He added that Green Keepers and other staff had confirmed that the trees were received for transplantation and were transplanted on the course. “Only some of these trees survived the procedure. No formal records are available on the number received or transplanted.”
Adarsh had also approached the Tree Authority regarding 54 trees, for cutting 18 and transplanting 36, which were in the way of its proposed construction.
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