Will finalise property for new office by April 7, MTDC tells Bombay high court
The MTDC told the HC that it will shift out of its current Nariman Point office — a major portion of which has been illegally occupied and encroached upon by the corporation — by October 31.
The Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC) told the Bombay high court on Tuesday that it had identified five properties in South Bombay from which it would finalise one as its new office by April 7.
The MTDC told the HC that it will shift out of its current Nariman Point office — a major portion of which has been illegally occupied and encroached upon by the corporation — by October 31. It stated that of the five prospective spots, it was most likely to shift to a vacant office space next to KC College. However, since the state Assembly was in session, it would be able to secure the state’s approval only by April 7.
While the court granted it the requisite time, it directed the corporation to “look beyond Ajanta and Ellora” and take a cue from some European nations and explore some untapped areas across the state to promote tourism.
The court was hearing a public interest litigation filed by the association of residents of Nariman Point and Churchgate area. They had raised concerns over a plot of land reserved for recreational ground that had been encroached upon by the BJP and public sector undertakings of the state such as MTDC and employment exchange.
Read: Bombay HC gives Maha tourism department until October to vacate illegal office space