Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislator Ashish Shelar has filed a public interest litigation (PIL) against the de-reservation of a 2.5 acre vacant plot for a residential project by a Petit family trust that runs the Bai Avabai Petit Girls’ School in Bandra (see "Petit land redevelopment,” Events and Personalities, Parsiana, July 21-August 6, 2021).
Bai Avabai Petit Girls’ School
The de-reservation was notified when the urban development department was headed by state minister Eknath Shinde, who on June 30, 2022 was named Maharashtra’s chief minister. The Free Press Journal (FPJ) of July 2, 2022 stated that BJP insiders said with the change in the government from a Shiv Sena-National Congress Party-Congress coalition to a Shiv Sena-BJP combine with Shinde as chief minister, the ball is now in Shelar’s court whether to pursue or withdraw the petition or seek a probe.
"Shelar has challenged the urban development department’s notification of March 12, 2021 and the subsequent corrigendum released thereafter approving the alleged de-reservation and/or modification proposed by the Bai Avabai Petit Parsi Girls Orphanage on a prime plot in Bandra,” noted FPJ. Shelar alleged that the reservation on the land of the Orphanage "was changed for private gain (and) alleged that the trustees of the Orphanage joined hands with the government officials for the de-reservation.” This decision has been taken for the commercial interest of a private builder, alleged Shelar.
The PIL filed on February 24 states that in 1913 the school was established as an orphanage for Parsi girls and in1963 it was converted into a cosmopolitan school for girls, reported The Times of India (ToI) of July 4. The PIL seeks preservation of properties of the public charitable trust. Shelar said he filed the PIL "for the cause of people residing” in his constituency as the land, reserved for the benefit of the public, was being "illegally de-reserved and modified,” ToI reported.
The newspaper quoted the PIL as stating: "The charity commissioner is custodian of all properties and assets of a public trust under the Maharashtra Public Trust Act and has a duty to ensure that trust properties are not alienated unless it is in the interest of the trust.”