A year after the State government approved a new lease policy for gymkhanas operating on government-owned lands, the elite clubs are once again in trouble. Nine of them, located on prime South Mumbai land, have been sent reminder notices as their lease terms expire.
The nine clubs are yet to pay the premium, senior officials said.
Mumbai City Collector S.R. Jondhale said, “We have sent them a reminder of the expiry of the lease term under the new policy approved last year. Those who do not respond may have to surrender their land to the government.”
The clubs that have been issued the notices are the Bombay Gymkhana, PJ Hindu Gymkhana, Parsee Gymkhana, Islam Gymkhana, Woodhouse Gymkhana, Wilson College Gymkhana, PVM Gymkhana, Grant Medical College and Catholic Gymkhana. The lease for some expired in 2006, while for others in the early 1980s. Together, they occupy about 1,16,565 sq.m. land.
‘Not aware of notice’
A committee member at Catholic Gymkhana, who did not wish to be named, said, “We are not aware of such a notice and would have to make further inquiries.”
The State land is governed by the Maharashtra Land Revenue Code (MLRC), 1966. As per Section 53 of the MLRC, any person or organisation occupying land after the expiry of the period of the lease or tenancy or termination of the lease or breach of any condition will be termed an unauthorised occupant. Sections 50, 51, 52 of the MLRC deal with the removal regularisation, fixation of the value of the land, and eviction from the encroached land respectively. The State government has from time to time issued instructions for regularisation of the lease and encroachment on the land.
The rents for the elite clubs rose sharply last year after the government approved a new policy. There are 18 elite clubs on government land across the city. Under the new policy, the government divided the clubs into three categories. Those with area above 20,000 sq.m. were clubbed in Category A, those between 10,000 and 20,000 sq.m. were put in Category B, and those with area less than that were put in Category C. The new rate applicable was 1% of the value arrived after computing rent of 10% prevailing ready reckoner rate for the plots in contention, officials said.
The government has leased around 1,300 plots in the city and 400 in the suburbs in various categories and purposes.
