Open to probe in encroachment allegations, BJP tells Bombay High Court

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday informed the Bombay High Court that it was willing to occupy only 1,200 square feet of area in its state office opposite the Mantralaya. The statement was made in reply to a petition that claimed the state government had allotted only 1,200 square feet of land to the party, but it was illegally enhanced to 1,482 square feet in October 1995. Over a period of time, the party office spread over 9,700 square feet.

Appearing for BJP, counsel S U Kamdar informed the court that the party was willing to occupy only 1,200 square feet of area and was open to an inquiry being conducted by either the state or the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to ascertain the actual area occupied by the party, as per the 1991 Development Control Regulation.

The BJP counsel was responding to a query made by the court during the last hearing about whether the party was willing to pull down the purportedly illegal additions made to its office. The court is hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by citizen associations from Nariman Point and Churchgate area, raising concerns over the alleged encroachments over a plot of land. The plot has been shown in the development plan for the city as recreational garden and is generally known as the Jawaharlal Nehru Garden.

The petition stated that though the plot was reserved for recreational ground, it has been encroached upon and now hosts offices of the BJP, Janata Dal, Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC) and the Employment Exchange. The court will pass a detailed order on the petition, indicating the nature of the inquiry to be carried out by the authorities, on Wednesday.