Mumbai Metro owes Rs 28.55 cr in rents to MMRDA: RTI

The Anil Ambani grouprun MumbaiMetro is yet to pay Rs 2855 crore rent to the regionalplanning body MMRDA for the land at the northwestern suburb ofVersova where the metro operator had put up the casting yardreveals an RTI answer from the authorityThe Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development AuthorityMMRDA in a response to an RTI query filed by activist AnilGalgali said Mumbai Metro One Pvt Ltd MMOPL was handedover the Home Guard land measuring 24 hectare at Versova fora casting yard in January 2009 for a period of 15 monthsThe MMRDA said the company originally owed Rs 3063crore in rentals out of which it cleared only Rs 397 croreto MMRDA on July 29 2015 But with interest and delayed feesthe total outstanding is Rs 2855 crore shows the RTI answerFor using the Home Guard land MMOPL run by AnilAmbanis Reliance Infrastructure had agreed to pay rent toMMRDA But it failed to do so but continued to occupy theland for 55 monthsSince metro construction jumped several deadlinesMMOPL sought four extensions from MMRDA to use the land Inits bid to continue to use the land it even promised to builda training centre for the Home Guards which was neverfulfilled the MMRDA said in its RTI replyThe RTI answer further said following a meeting withan additional chief secretary in October 2011 MMOPL was askedto start constructing the training centre for the Home Guardswithin two months failing which it was asked to pay the fullrent of the land right from the date of allotment withinterestGalgali said the company did not event meet thisdeadline or build the training centre or pay the rentalsFinally MMOPL handed over land to MMRDA in August 2013 afterusing it for over 55 monthsAfter several rounds of correspondence MMOPL madethe first and only rent payment of Rs 397 crore to MMRDA onJuly 29 2015 MMOPL is yet to pay Rs 2855 crore to MMRDAsaid RTI replyThe MMRDA arrived at the rental outstanding at Rs360daysqmt with an annual increment of 10 per centTerming this as unholy nexus between MMRDA officialand MMOPL executives Galgali said he has written a letter tochief minister Devendra Fadnavis and MMRDA Commissioner UPSMadan to register an FIR against MMOPL and recover the moneyand then build the training centre buildingWhat does the MMOPL have to sayWhen contacted MMOPL denied owing money to the MMRDAas the authority has already deducted the money to the tune ofRs 3830 crore from the viability gap funding grantsThe RTI query portrays only half the picture TheHome Guard land was provided to MMOPL during construction ofthe alignment However MMRDA was not able to provideunencumbered right of way as per the concession agreementciting various reasons It in fact took more than six yearsand six months to give us the right of wayBecause of unfulfilled promises of MMRDA we wereforced to extend usage of the Home Guard land as the projectwas to be completed MMOPL said in a statementThe company went onto claim that MMRDA has alreadydeducted Rs 3830 crore from the viability gap funding whichwas due to us and is under dispute nowRepeated attempts to contact the MMRDA Commissionerdid not fructify