Essel Infraprojects Limited (EIL), which runs Essel World, will have to cough up ₹1.37 crore as recovery fee for not removing silt from Gorai creek during the then President Pratibha Patil’s visit to the city in 2009.
The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of the 13th Assembly also pulled up Maharashtra Maritime Board (MMB) for using State machinery to remove 1.8 lakh metric tonnes of silt and extending undue benefits to the firm. The committee comprising 26 members, including former finance minister Jayant Patil, said in its report that the firm reaped the commercial benefits of the desilting of Gorai and Marve creeks.
Raising a red flag
The committee said that the maritime board spent ₹1.01 crore on removing 45,625 metric tonnes of silt around the private jetty operated by the firm in January and March 2009.
The committee said, “However, no money was recovered from EIL until then. The Comptroller and Auditor General then raised a red flag, and a notice was sent only on April 29, 2017 to recover ₹1.37 crore from the company. This is a very serious lapse.” The committee has recommended action against errant officials and submission of a report within three months. A member of the committee said, “The silt was removed to secure a safe passage for the honourable President. The question remains as to who was responsible for removing the silt. The maritime board was careless in not taking action against the firm.”
Ms. Patil had inaugurated the Golden Pagoda at Gorai on February 8, 2009. A month earlier, Principal Secretary (Ports) submitted a proposal to the Finance Department estimating an expenditure of ₹5 crore in removing 1.8 lakh metric tonnes of silt. “Some of this money must be recovered from EIL, and the rest by increasing journey charges on the route,” the department had recommended.
Essel World courted controversy in 2015 when Vanashakti Trust had filed an FIR against it for ‘mass destruction of mangroves’.
Stalin, convenor the NGO, said, “This is not the first time that Essel World has been involved in drawing benefits out of the environment and doing little for its betterment. The big fish are never caught and seem to always get away.”
Depsite seceral attempts, EIL offcials were unreachable for comment at the time of going to press. An EIL spokesperson said the company would need time to study the matter and respond to it.
