Maharashtra govt takes back land on which WTC stands in Mumbai

Maharashtra government today took back the land on which the World Trade Centre in plush South Mumbai area stands, after it found "grave violations" of the terms set by it while allotting the prime area in 1970.

Mumbai District Collector Ashwini Joshi said that the land was originally allotted to M Visvesvaraya Industrial Research and Development Centre (MVIRDC), which then affiliated itself (sub-leased it) to WTC- New York.

"The land on which the WTC building stands, has been taken back. The land was originally given to MVIRDC, which later affiliated itself to WTC- New York. People running the WTC indulged in several violations of the conditions set by the government," Joshi said.

"The grave violations included disposing of the premises without the sanction of the government, keeping premises under-utilised, not paying dues and opening of subsidiaries without permission to dispose of capital investment received by them," she said.

When the government realised the scope of violations six months back, it asked her to hear out "MVIRDC managing committee and MVIRDC lessees association (that had complained to the government)" and the report was sent to the government in September. "The violations were of serious nature and against the terms set by government in its GR, under which the land was allotted to them. Thus, after giving several notices to them and resultant unsatisfactory explanations, we passed this order," she said.

Joshi further said that part of the land was already taken back by the government in 1976 and it still had 46,000 sq mt land left with it.