HC asks Mah Govt to reconsider waiving off Rs 100 crore

Mumbai, Sep 5 (UNI) While allowing a plea to implead the Chief Maharstra Minister as a respondent in a petition challenging Revenue Minister Narayan Rane's decision to waive off more than Rs 100 crore payable by Mukand Company, the Bombay High Court suggested that the Maharashtra government may still reconsider its decision.

The petitioner, Subhash Jadhav, had filed the plea after he found that the Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh was also a signatory to the alleged controversial decision. He, however, felt that the signature of the Chief Minister might have been taken without giving him complete information.

Upon which, the division bench of Justice J N Patel and Justice Amjad Sayyad adjourned further hearing on the matter till September 13, suggesting that if it were so, it was still open for the state government to reconsider the Revenue Minister's decision.

Right from the Collector, Divisional Comissioner as well as Secretary of the Revenue department had held that unearned income from sale of the company's land was payable to the government. The Revenue Minister, by his order of September 14, 2005, has overturned these orders and waived off more than Rs 100 crore. The amount pertains to the sale of company's land at Kurla, which was allotted by the state government in late 1950s.

UNI