Hema Malini got prime land worth crores for just Rs 70,000

BJP MP wanted to start dance academy in posh West Andheri

A month after the BJP-Shiv Sena government in Maharashtra allotted a 2,000 sq mt land to actor-politician Hema Malini for setting up a dance academy, an RTI query has revealed that the plot was given away at a meagre sum of Rs 70,000, whereas the actual price is in several crores.

On December 29, 2015, Revenue Minister Eknath Khadse had issued the order giving permission to enable her set up an academy and a full-fledge cultural complex to impart training in classical and experimental music, arts and dance.

The property is located at Ambivali-Oshivara at the prime Andheri western suburbs of Mumbai.  

“The government has worked wonders and this can be seen from a 2,000 sq mt land  was given away for a pittance Rs 70,000 at the rate of Rs 35  per sq mt for a land currently valued in crores,” RTI activist Anil Galgali said.

“Previously Congress MP and IPL Chairman Rajeev Shukla too had been a similar beneficiary and the issue had generated enough heat forcing the Shukla family controlled BAG company to return the allotted plot. Another interesting twist to the Hema Malini land case is that, she is yet to fulfill the financial compliances and also return a previously allotted land,” he said.

Galgali also said that replies that were sought from the Mumbai-Suburban district collector’s office has revealed that the plot was reserved for gardens. Galgali said Hema Malini was previously allotted land at Versova village in the same Andheri taluka on April 4, 1997 for which a payment of Rs 10 lakhs was made.

“But since a portion of that land was effected with Coastal Regulation Zone regulations, Hema Malini had not undertaken any construction on the land. Also as per the terms of that agreement, Hema Malini was supposed to raise 25 per cent of that project cost, which was never done till date. In spite of the track record, the state government acted benevolently and allotted an alternative land to her,” he said.

In a letter addressed to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Galgali had questioned that, at one end the BJP government is talking of taking back the reserved lands allotted to  various organisations and on the other hand is allotting a prime land, reserved for gardens to its own and allowing construction.

“The dance academy’s project is proposed to cost around Rs 18 crore and as per instructions it has to submit a certificate stating that 25 per cent of funds are available with it and also how is it going to raise the balance 75 per cent of the funds. The academy in its response has intimated that it has Rs 3.50 crore available with it and the balance is proposed to be raised through bank loans,” he said.