CM allays fears on forced savings

However, MCCI president R J Rathi indicated that the chamber would wait for a week to watch if the orders issued by the Chief Minister were being implemented, failing which another meeting would be called next week.

Meanwhile, ever since the industry joined issue with the Divisional Commissioner Bhatia over forced paymentstowards the National Savings Scheme (NSS), automotive giant Telco finds itself in the eye of a storm yet again as an FIR has been lodged against the company’s security personnel at the Nigdi police station for impeding the work of the land record department officials.

The company has been accused of illegally occupying around 15 acres of land which a private individual claims as his. Around 21 acres and 34 gunthas of the total of 21 acres and 90 gunthas at Survey no 187 at Chinchwadgaon and 9 acres 30 gunthas of the total of the total of 23 acres and 19 gunthas at Survey no 189 was acquired by the State government for the construction of the lime kiln for the Mulshi dam project. Of this land, the ownership of around 15 acres and 34 gunthas remained with original owners. And yet as per the available land records of 1968, all the land falling under these two survey numbers were shown to be registered in the name of Telco. A complaint was registered by the Legislative council member RS Gavai with the StateGovernment on behalf of the original owner in the year 1993 demanding an investigation into the matter.

Accordingly, when a city land survey department official visited the company works at Chinchwad on October 24, 1997, the security personnel of the company denied him permission to carry out measurements. An FIR was accordingly filed against the company in accordance with the instructions of the District Collector at the Nigdi police station.

When contacted, R M Nirmal, deputy general manager, HRD, Telco told The Indian Express that the allegation that Telco has occupied 15 acres of land illegally is not based on facts. “All the lands in possession of Telco are acquired by lawful means. When the survey officer visited the Chinchwad works on October 24, 1997, he was explained by the security officer that the complaint made by a person claiming the ownership of a portion of the company’s land has no substance,” he clarified. The said land was purchased by Tata Power Company in 1930 from privatelandlords. The said land was transferred to Investa Machine Tool Company in 1962. In 1966, the land was further transferred to Telco. During all this period, there is no evidence of any complaint by any one in respect of ownership of land or a portion thereof, he said. According to Nirmal, several shops have been built on the land which has been in Telco’s possession without any obstruction for the last 30 years.

“As there did not appear to be any prima-facie case justifying the measurement of the land, the question of granting permission did not arise,” he said adding that this explanation had satisfied the City Survey Officer. He also revealed that despite a letter sent by the company to the District Collector requesting the city survey officer not to proceed with the measurement unless a hearing was granted to them, it was unfortunate instead of giving them a reply, an FIR was lodged against the company’s security officer after a long period of four months.