In its defence, the Adarsh Society is expected to tell the Bombay High Court that there are many societies like it in the financial capital, formed by ?influential officials? with similar instances of conflict of interest.
From the time land was allotted to Mumbai?s first IAS officials? housing society ? Lalit in Cuffe Parade in 1965 ? all plum government plots have always been given to societies whose members were officials with crucial postings, Adarsh is likely to tell the court.
The controversial South Mumbai housing society, accused of rewarding government officials who allegedly bent the law or turned a blind eye to rules to approve its 31-storey tower, filed a petition in the high court against the cancellation of approvals to it by local authorities. It is in the process of finalising its arguments.
The officers to have benefited over the years belong to departments such as Urban Development, Revenue, Finance, Public Works, besides chief secretaries, municipal commissioners, secretaries to the chief minister and senior police officials, Adarsh says.
With such details, Adarsh plans to file its affidavit it before the next hearing on January 27, sources told The Indian Express. Government employees in Maharashtra can be allotted land at a measly 5% to 20% of the ready reckoner rate for the year. Most plum plots have gone to A-category officials, which includes IAS, IPS, Army personnel and former or serving MLAs/MLCs. There have also been cases of violations of the FSI (floor space index) and other concessions granted to such societies.
Several members continue to occupy their official quarters while renting out these apartments and many others have amassed two or more flats at concessional rates.
Besides Lalit, the Adarsh affidavit is expected to point fingers at Buena Vista, Samata, Shalaka, Dilwara and Charleville, all societies of IAS-IPS officers and judges in the Nariman Point-Churchgate area, where property prices are among the highest in the world.
There are similar societies in Worli, including the sea-facing Priya (IAS) and Sagar Tarang (IPS) colonies, Praneet, Aseem, and the MLA colonies of Subhada and Sukhada. In the suburbs, there is Amaltas in Juhu, Pataliputra in Lokhandwalla, and Jasmine, Nyay Sagar and Renuka in Bandra East.
Adarsh plans to point out that in most cases, these prime plots were reserved for government buildings or quarters but the reservation was changed to residential to accommodate the influential.
?All along there have been instances of officials handling files pertaining to the society in which they themselves own apartments, but no one pointed fingers at the conflict of interest there,? said an Adarsh member, referring to charges against former collectors I A Kundan and Pradeep Vyas, former BMC commissioner Jairaj Phatak, ex-BEST chief Uttam Khobragade and ex-Urban Development secretary Ramanand Tiwari in connection with Adarsh.