dna exclusive: Letter from Arvind Kejriwal claims corruption by MTDC babus

A letter claiming to be from anti-corruption crusader Arvind Kejriwal, exposing undue 'hurry' by certain senior state tourism department officials in the purchase of a property worth over Rs49 crore at the World Trade Centre (WTC) in South Mumbai, has sent senior management in tizzy.

Though a spokesperson for Kejriwal said that no such letter has been sent to MTDC from their side, the move is believed to have been made by a whistle-blower or a rival.

What does the letter claim?
The letter which was received by MTDC on September 3, claims, "They are now going ahead to purchase the property in a hurry in WTC from a private concern at very high rates to make quick money before code of conduct date." The code of conduct for the upcoming assembly elections came into force on September 12.

What will tourism dept head do?
This letter alleging corruption has lead newly-appointed MD of Maharashtra Tourism Department Corporation (MTDC) Valsa Nair Singh, to take a cautious approach towards the deal. She has decided to review it herself. Singh did not respond to calls from dna.

How MTDC went about it
According to the MTDC sources, in order to buy an office space, the department had issued an open tender. Two office spaces were zeroed in on -- one at Maker Chambers, near Mantralaya while a second one at World Trade Centre (WTC). While, MTDC staffers have strongly shown their liking for Maker Chambers because of its easy connectivity for tourists, the tourism ministry and certain MTDC officials have been pushing for WTC.

What are the differences between the 2 options?
While the fully-furnished 11,662 sq ft of space in Maker Chambers at Rs 35,000/sq ft is costing around Rs41 crore (negotiable), the one in Kale Estate in WTC with an area of 12500 sq ft at Rs 36,000/q ft of rate is costing over Rs45 crore. Moreover, Maker Chamber is offering more parking space and other facilities, sources said.