Maharashtra govt orders probe into 'commercial' use of land allotted to Associated Journals Ltd

Mumbai: Maharashtra government has ordered a probe into land given to Associated Journals Ltd (AJL), as per reports on Wednesday.

The probe has been ordered into alleged "commercial use" of the land by the publisher of National Herald, for setting up Nehru Memorial Library and Research Centre in Mumbai, according to BJP Mumbai unit president Ashish Shelar.

According to him, the state government had in 1983 alloted to AJL 3478 sq meter of land in Bandra on the Western Express Highway for setting up Nehru Memorial Library and Research Centre. But, no construction was taken up on the plot till 2013. That year, however, permission for "commercial construction" was accquired from the Mumbai Municipal Corporation and an 11-storeyed "Congress Bhavan" is being built there, he said.

Rubbishing the charge of wrongdoing, Mumbai Congress unit president Sanjay Nirupam dubbed the announcement of the probe as a "political stunt".

He said the municipal corporation gives two kinds of permission--residential and commercial - and commercial permission had been obtained by AJL.

On the other hand Anil Galgali, RTI activist told ANI, "There had to be a library and newspaper office at the land, but Congress Bhawan is being built there."

"Ministers and officials involved from 1983-2015 should be taken action against," he added.

On December 14, Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley had said that Income Tax Department has issued notices in National Herald case and now it was its duty to assess the parties allegedly involved in it.

He, however, denied that the Enforcement Directorate reopened case.

The Congress party had claimed the Enforcement Directorate under the Modi government had reopened the National Herald case after having closed it.

Congress had been protesting in Parliament on the National Herald issue alleging political vendetta after the Delhi High Court refused to quash summonses to its leaders including party chief Sonia Gandhi and her deputy Rahul Gandhi.

(With Agency inputs)