After nearly a week of going back and forth, Team Anna and India Against Corruption has finally got some good news. The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority has decided to give them a concession for renting the MMRDA ground in the Bandra-Kurla Complex, from the earlier estimated `12 lakhs down to `7.78 lakhs now.
This was after the Bombay high court said that advising the MMRDA on the rates for the ground was not under its judicial purview, and told IAC supporters to apply for concession to the MMRDA through a registered trust.
Heeding the court’s advice, the IAC registered itself with Team Anna frontliner Arvind Kejriwal’s Public Cause Research Foundation (PCRF) and once again applied for a concession from the MMRDA to agitate at the MMRDA ground.
Preeti Menon of the IAC said, “We reapplied for allotment of the MMRDA ground under Mr Kejriwal’s PCRF banner.” When asked why they were insisting on the MMRDA ground when Azad Maidan is available for free, Ms Menon said, “Azad Maidan is not sufficient for our cause. Ideally we should not be charged anything for such a patriotic cause.”
“As the PCRF is a charitable organisation unlike the IAC, the MMRDA is charging `7.78 lakhs. Ground permission is from midnight of December 26 to 7 pm on December 30,” said Anil Wankhede, deputy metropolitan commissioner, MMRDA.
Meanwhile, in a surprising development, Mr Hazare said from Ralegan Siddhi that he wasn’t pleased that his supporters and the IAC had approached the court on the MMRDA ground issue. He said it was wrong, that if they had sought his opinion, he would not have allowed them to seek judicial intervention.
To gather the funds to pay the `7 lakhs, Mr Hazare said his team would seek donations through cheques and demand drafts. “Donations will be accepted only by cheque and draft. We will also keep a tab on the donors,” he said.
Mr Hazare’s remarks came as the HC rejected Team Anna’s petition to direct the state to allot the MMRDA ground for free or at a concession rates for Mr Hazare’s three-day fast.