DNA
Mumbai, Oct 17: The Ambani brothers are at loggerheads once again. The Bombay High Court on Monday admitted a petition filed by the Anil Ambani-led Reliance Communications & Infrastructure Ltd. (RCIL) challenging the State government’s “arbitrary and unjustified” move to grant “concessions valued at Rs7000 crores” to Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) for the construction of a world-class convention and exhibition centre at the Bandra Kurla Complex.
In an interim order, Justice S Radhakrishnan and Justice Roshan Dalvi restrained RIL from utilising an additional built-up area of 31,500 square meters allotted to it by MMRDA for a commercial complex adjoining the convention centre. The matter has been listed for hearing on November 28.
RCIL counsel Srihari Aney alleged that MMRDA altered tender conditions in granting RIL extra built up area and FSI. In February 2006, RCIL lost out to RIL’ Rs1,104-core bid for constructing the convention centre on a 7.5 hectare plot at BKC.
The convention centre complete with a 2000-seat auditorium with state-of-the-art audio-visual equipment was to be constructed on the lines of one of those in New York.
RCIL has alleged that tender conditions limiting the project’s built up area to 1,15,000 square meters were subsequently relaxed by the MMRDA to benefit RIL.