Chhath Puja: HC quashes BMC's order revoking nod to group backed by NCP leader

The Bombay High Court on Thursday quashed the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporations BMC order revoking permission granted earlier to an organisation headed by a former corporator of the NCP to conduct Chhath Puja at a suburban groundThe HC also quashed another BMC order granting permission to another group to hold the puja at the venue after it submitted an application seeking nod along with a letter from a former corporator of the BJPA vacation bench of Justices N J Jamadar and Gauri Godse said there was malice on the part of the BMC in granting permission to one group and revoking nod given earlier to the other groupThe Chhath Puja is to be held on October 30 and 31 on a ground in suburban GhatkoparThe court quashed the BMCs order by which it had revoked permission granted to NCPs former corporator Rakhee Jadhavs organisation Shri Durga Parmeshwari Seva Mandal to hold the Chhath festival at Acharya Atre Maidan in GhatkoparThe corporation cancelled permission granted to the mandal and gave nod to Atal Samajik Sanskruti Seva Pratisthan whose name was recommended by former corporator Bhalchandra Shirsat of the BJPRakhee Jadhav approached the HC through her mandal against the BMC orderAlso Read Infant kidnapped from south Mumbai rescued by police couple heldThe high court set aside both these orders and directed local police station to take a decision on grant of No Objection Certificate NOC to the petitioner mandalAccording to the petition the mandal had sought permission in August this year for holding three functions Ganpati visarjan Navratri and Chhath Puja The permission was granted in August itself for holding all the three functionsThe corporation while revoking the permission later claimed the mandal had not submitted the requisite NOCs from police fire and traffic departments It said the other group had all the NOCs and hence permission was granted to itThe HC however questioned the timing of the revocation of nod and asked the BMC why the permission was not revoked during the Ganpati or Navratri festivals when the mandal did not have the NOCs even thenYou BMC should have cancelled immediately They violated for Ganpati but you let them hold Navratri as well Why did you let them hold Navratri Now you cancelled before Chhath Puja the bench askedThe petition further claimed the mandal was not issued any notice prior to the BMCs decision of revocationAdvocate Amogh Singh appearing for the Atal Samajik Sanskruti Seva Pratisthan said the BMC has the power to cancel permissionJust because the mandal held two functions illegally should they be allowed to continue holding it They are saying it is political but the Pratisthans applicationwas attached to the letter of the former BJP corporator Singh saidThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever