Will the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) waive off the Rs 2.31 crore revenue, that it could earn as the rent from its grounds in BKC, from the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC) for the Make in India event?
Will the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) waive off the Rs 2.31 crore revenue, that it could earn as the rent from its grounds in BKC, from the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC) for the Make in India event? MMRDA officials told this newspaper that MIDC has asked them not to charge rent as it’s a government event, but they have told MIDC that they don’t have the power to take a decision about this. They told them it’s only the Chief Minister, who heads MMRDA, can take the decision.
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An activist says MMRDA should not waive off the rent as it can use it for infrastructure projects.
An MMRDA official said it charges R8.8 per square metre for a day while giving the MMRDA grounds in BKC for the day on which programme is scheduled, and Rs 4.40 per square metre for every day during the preparation for the event, including erecting and dismantling the pandals.
"The MIDC had requested us not to charge them for the Make in India event, as it is a government function, but as of now no decision has been taken, because we don’t have the powers to waive off the rent. The subject would be kept before an MMRDA meeting where officials can take the decision," said Deputy Metropolitan Commissioner Anil Wankhede.
The MMRDA is headed by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, and the decision to waive off the rent or not for using the MMRDA grounds in BKC for the Make in India event, will be taken by him.
The revenue
The Make in India week is to be organised at MMRDA grounds in BKC from today to February 18 and sources from MMRDA told this newspaper that around 1.5 lakh square metres of space has been given for six days for the programme. The calculation of the rent per day goes to Rs 13.20 lakh, and for six days it is Rs 79.20 lakh.
MMRDA also charges Rs 4.40 per square metre for every day for the period for which the erection and dismantling is done. An MMRDA official said, "From January 14, the land has been handed over to MIDC as they wanted to start the preparations including erection of the pandal, and they have been given the ground for around 35-39 days excluding the six days on which the programme has been organised."
The rough calculation of the rent for 35 days during which the erection and dismantling the pandal will be done, is R6.60 lakh per day and the amount of rent for 35 days is Rs 2.31 crore.
Sources also claimed that MMRDA had informed MIDC about the rent for the BKC ground and it was only after this that the MIDC asked MMRDA to waive off the rent of Rs 2.31 crore.
RTI Activist Anil Galgali said, "The MIDC, which is organising the Make in India event in BKC should not be given the MMRDA grounds free of cost, because all other government agencies who have held programmes in BKC, have been paying concessional rates. So, MIDC should also pay the same. MMRDA can earn over R2 crore as revenue from the rent amount, which can be used for its infrastructure projects and so the PM should ask MIDC to pay the rent for the programme."
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