I read somewhere that the court has decided that it is forest land (DNA--21st) reprodu
Developers in the eastern suburbs find themselves in a spot because of the revenue department's laxity.
MUMBAI: The Bhabha Atomic Research Centre complex contains several buildings. But it's actually a forest. A Supreme Court order has left the status of several other institutions and landmarks such as Nirmal Lifestyle, Johnson & Johnson, Godrej Colony, ESIS hospital, Burroughs Welcome (now with the Oberoi Group), HP refinery, and even the Mulund BMC office hanging in the balance.
After the order on a Bombay Environmental Action Group plea, 710 acres of land in Mulund, Vikhroli, Nahur, Mahul, and Thane have been deemed forest land. A revenue department circular listing these properties as forests has put a full stop to all development work on these plots.
Developer Subhash Runwal said he was baffled by the decision to declare his 24,000 sq metre property on LBS Marg as forest land. "This property belonged to Rallis India, a Tata company, for 40 to 50 years. We bought it from them and have got all the necessary permissions: commencement certificate from the BMC, NoC from the collector, Intimation of Disapproval, and Urban Land Ceiling clearance. At no point were we told that this is forest land."
Thereby hangs a tale. While the forest department had demarcated this as forest land, the revenue department had not updated its records.
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Why are they making this a cruel joke? After fifty years , they find this to be forest land in the middle of the city? Hard earned lifetime savings is locked in.
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