Events & Personalities
BPP seeks extension
To complete the building of 300 flats for disadvantaged Parsis at Panthaki Baug, Andheri, the Bombay Parsi Punchayet (BPP) on August 8, 2013 sought more time from the Bombay High Court (BHC). The apex trust also asked for an extension for the term of retired Supreme Court Justice B. N. Srikrishna who was appointed by the Court as mediator in the matter, reported The Times of India (TOI) on August 9, 2013.
Four years earlier, the BHC in an order dated October 15, 2009 had directed the BPP to construct 500 housing units within two years after the issue of affordable homes on merit for Parsis had been brought before the Charity Commissioner (CC) in 2008, mentions TOI. Ruling on a plea by BPP chairman Dinshaw Mehta, the BHC had then set aside the order of the CC and held that the BPP was "free to dispose of a number of flats at rates permitted by the CC on ownership basis to poor and deserving Parsis.”
The BPP gave an undertaking to construct flats at Panthaki Baug and allot them immediately. Justices D. K. Deshmukh and R. G. Ketkar of the BHC had asked the BPP to complete the work in two years and to seek extension "only after substantial progress is made in the construction.” Though the Court subsequently granted an extension, and in 2012 appointed Srikrishna as mediator, the BPP claims that construction work was delayed because obtaining sanctions from the civil authorities took time, TOI mentions. BPP’s advocate Percy Gandhi sought a further extension for the mediator’s term, which was objected to by two persons whose lawyer has asked for time to file their objections. TOI mentions that the bench of Justices Shiavax Vazifdar and M. S. Sonak will now hear the matter in September 2013.
Four years earlier, the BHC in an order dated October 15, 2009 had directed the BPP to construct 500 housing units within two years after the issue of affordable homes on merit for Parsis had been brought before the Charity Commissioner (CC) in 2008, mentions TOI. Ruling on a plea by BPP chairman Dinshaw Mehta, the BHC had then set aside the order of the CC and held that the BPP was "free to dispose of a number of flats at rates permitted by the CC on ownership basis to poor and deserving Parsis.”
The BPP gave an undertaking to construct flats at Panthaki Baug and allot them immediately. Justices D. K. Deshmukh and R. G. Ketkar of the BHC had asked the BPP to complete the work in two years and to seek extension "only after substantial progress is made in the construction.” Though the Court subsequently granted an extension, and in 2012 appointed Srikrishna as mediator, the BPP claims that construction work was delayed because obtaining sanctions from the civil authorities took time, TOI mentions. BPP’s advocate Percy Gandhi sought a further extension for the mediator’s term, which was objected to by two persons whose lawyer has asked for time to file their objections. TOI mentions that the bench of Justices Shiavax Vazifdar and M. S. Sonak will now hear the matter in September 2013.
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