Probe into 'commercial' use of Herald land

The Maharashtra government has ordered an inquiry into alleged “commercial use” of the land allotted to Associated Journals Ltd (AJL), publisher of the now-defunct National Herald, for setting up the Nehru Memorial Library and Research Centre in here, according to BJP Mumbai unit president Ashish Shelar.

The Congress, however, refuted the allegation and dubbed the probe ordered by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis as a “political stunt.”

Shelar, a BJP legislator, told reporters here that he had raised the issue on December 10 during the winter session of the state Assembly.

According to him, the state government had in 1983 alloted to AJL 3478 sq metres of land in Bandra on the Western Express Highway for setting up the Nehru centre. But, no construction was taken up on the plot till 2013.

That year, however, permission for “commercial construction” was acquired from the Mumbai Municipal Corporation .