Hema got Rs 70 cr land for 1.75 lakh!

Bollywood actress and lawmaker Hema Malini has been allotted land worth Rs 70 crore for just Rs 1.75 lakh for a dance academy in upmarket Oshiwara here under a revised policy of Maharashtra government, an RTI query has revealed.

Documents accessed by RTI activist Anil Galgali from the Suburban Collector's office shows the government has allotted a 2,000 square metre prime plot to the BJP Lok Sabha MP for Rs 1.75 lakh at a rate of Rs 87.50 per square metre for construction of a dance academy.

An RTI plea filed earlier by Galgali had revealed the actress was allotted the land at a rate of Rs 35 per square metre (costing Rs 70,000). After the issue generated a controversy in February this year, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis ordered a revision of the policy of allotting land to private trusts and artists.

Since Hema Malini, a trained Bharatnatyam dancer, has

In fact, the govt would have to refund her the outstanding Rs 8.25 lakh, reveal documents accessed by RTI activist

already paid Rs 10 lakh as advance, the government would have to refund her the outstanding Rs 8.25 lakh, said Galgali. "This would be a major embarrassment for the government," he said. When contacted, Mumbai Suburban Collector Shekhar Channe said, "Yes, we would have to return money to her. However, the money would be returned only if the government orders us to do so." "The land having a market value of Rs 70 crore has been given to Hema Maliniji for a paltry Rs 1.75 lakh. The state government would have to return Rs 8.75 lakh to her as she gave Rs 10 lakh as advance in 1997," he said. PTI