‘Maharashtra never asked army for Adarsh plot’

The state government never asked the military to hand over possession of the plot on which the controversial Adarsh building stands, brigadier Deepak Saxena on Wednesday told the Adarsh Inquiry Commission.

Saxena, from the military headquarters, during cross-examination by Adarsh’s lawyer said the land of Khukri Park, on which Adarsh stands, was not leased or given in licence and not handed over to army by the central and state governments. “The state never asked the army to hand over possession of the property because it was not owned, possessed or leased or taken in license by them,’’ he added.

Saxena said all land in possession of the military is owned or leased or taken in license and is recorded in the Military Land Register (MLR). “We are not in possession of any document to show that land in question was handed over to us by the state,” he added.

Khukri Park was set up in 1996. Saxena admitted that there is no record to show that the army spent anything for setting up the park or constructing a wall around it or even sought administrative approval for doing so.

Adarsh’s advocate Satish Maneshinde asked if permission from local authorities like BMC or MMRDA was taken. “You don’t ask when land belongs to you,” riposted Saxena. He said no sanction of any local authorities was taken since the land was defence land and it was not necessary to obtain sanction from any authority. Saxena said he will have to check if military has obtained prior permission from BMC or MMRDA for construction within the military.