Low-rate leases of govt land causing loss to govt: PIL

The Bombay High Court today asked Maharashtra Government to file reply to a PIL, which says that government is leasing out public lands or extending existing leases at rates that are too low, and thereby losing a huge amount of revenue every year.
The division bench headed by Chief Justice Mohit Shah sought affidavit-in-reply from government within four weeks.
Petitioner and former Central Information Commissioner Shailesh Gandhi alleges that a Government Resolution in last December provides the option to lessees to opt for Class II Rights of leased lands at concessional rates, causing a loss of thousands of crores of rupees to the exchequer.

Authorities do not execute fresh lease deeds when the existing leases expire, nor do they take back possession of the lands. In many cases, lessees continue to occupy the lands several years after the lease has expired, says the PIL.
Further, Gandhi alleges, leases are granted or extended at highly concessional rates without any justification.
Therefore the GR of last year was unconstitutional, he has argued in the PIL.
The GR allows lessees to extend lease periods without ascertaining whether the lands are still being used for the original intended purpose, he says.
The PIL demands that leases of public lands be granted/extended only through auction or tenders.