‘Army land register has no record of Adarsh soc plot’

MUMBAI: The ministry of defence on Wednesday said that the Adarsh plot was theirs but admitted that it was not recorded in the property register of the Military Land Register.
Brigadier Deepak Saxena said, “The army authorities as well as the defence ministry were aware of the state government’s notification to narrow the width of Captain Prakash Pethe Marg from 60 metres to 18 metres.” Yet, he admitted, the defence ministry did not file any objections against the proposed reduction of the road width.
“I am in possession of a map published by the Survey of India in 1957 showing the land in possession of the military in Colaba,” Brigadier Saxena said in his continuing cross-examination by the Adarsh society lawyer, Satish Maneshinde, and said he could produce the map on Thursday before the twomember judicial panel, comprising retired high court judge J A Patil and P Subrahmanyam .
Maneshinde showed the army officer various letters which suggested that the land was being sought by the army from the state government. Brigadier Saxena, however, said it would be incorrect to say that till 1971 the army was not in possession of block VI of Backbay Reclamation, on which stands the 31-storey residential tower, where former army top brass, politicians and former bureaucrats bought spacious flats for a fraction of its market price.
“No portion of block VI was handed over to the army by the government of Bombay or by the Maharashtra government ,” the officer admitted.
“We have no documents to show that the state government transferred any land in Block VI to the military,” he added. The army officer denied that the Adarsh plot was a foreshore land between 1950 and 1973. Though the Adarsh building replaced Kukri Park an eco-garden maintained by the army, the defence ministry had no record to show that the army spent for the construction of the park or the park wall or that in 1995-96 Major-General Cariappa sanctioned it.
“Since it was defence land no such sanction was required ,” said Brig Saxena. “There is no separate register for properties in possession of the army which are owned or taken on lease,” he added. His cross-examination will continue on Thursday.
Meanwhile, the judicial panel wants the two ex-chief ministers, Vilasrao Deshmukh and Ashok Chavan, to submit their affidavits in the matter to it by May 23.
However, the two politicians do not have to remain present on that date.