Mumbai:
The BEST has incurred losses to the tune of crores due to delays in development of a 1479.66 sq m reserved plot in Mulund (W) for the past nine years.
The issue caused uproar in the BEST committee meeting on Tuesday , with the opposition seeking answers for the delays, the low interest rates charged and why the security deposit was not accepted in cash from the developer in 2006.The developer has now constructed a ground-plus-two structure, which can be leased out by the BEST as office space to corporates and banks. Since it is located on prime land in Mulund (W), it can help the cash-strapped BEST undertaking fill up its coffers.
“But what about the losses in crores over the past nine in crores over the past nine years due to the delays in handing over this property?“ questioned Congress panel member Ravi Raja. “ As per the proposal in 2006, the developer was to hand over 592.36 sq m of built-up area along with 592.36 sq m of open land free of cost.Of the open land, 146 sq m was to be given to the developer as an access at a premium cost and lease rent. “The developer had to pay a security deposit of Rs 63 lakh in cash in 2006, but this was not done. Instead, the firm showed a bank guarantee of the same amount,“ he said.
MNS panel member Kedar Hombalkar raised objections on the bank guarantee. “Why wasn't the panel informed about the guarantee? And now, when the BEST plans to collect interest on security deposit, it is just a small amount of Rs 51 lakh. According to market interest rates, it should be at least Rs 1 crore,“ he said. Raja said on one hand, the BEST charged its electricity users in the island city a cess for transport division losses, and on the other, it was losing revenue on such prime plots.
A BEST official said that the developer was not able to complete the construction work on time. “Due to delay in handing over the amenity space -open space and buildable reservation -the BEST had asked the developer for additional security deposit of Rs 32.6 lakh over and above the Rs 63 lakh initially shown as bank guarantee. We will now charge interest on the two deposits,“ he said.
Panel slams move to scrap heritage tram
The BEST's recent plan to auction a heritage tram, kept near its museum building at Anik depot, met with strong criticism at the committee meeting on Tuesday. Deputy general manager (traffic) R R Deshpande, however, clarified before the panel that though there was an initial plan to auction the tram, the administration has scrapped this decision. The issue was raised in the meeting by Shiv Sena member
No comments:
Post a Comment