When the Pawar Public Charitable Trust wrote to Mumbai municipal commissioner Subodh Kumar on May 4, 2011 seeking to rent space for a school, it identified itself as working for the poor. The letter, signed by trustee Sadanand Sule, son-in law of Union agriculture minister Sharad Pawar, claimed the Trust provided affordable, quality education. Within 48 hours, the BMC agreed to lease for 11 months part of a building whose possession it received a day earlier, for a rent of Rs 90,000 a month.
Sule had written that the construction of the school's original premises at Chandivali had been delayed due to unforeseen circumstances and that it had taken in more than 550 students. "To avoid loss of a term for these students we request you to grant us permission to use 22 rooms at the BMC Training Centre, at Raheja Vihar, Chandivali," reads the document procured under the Right to Information Act. Part of the institute — 18 rooms — is leased from May15, 2011 to April 14, 2012.
But the Pawar Public School (nursery to Class X) which has an ICSE curriculum, charges Rs 2,800 per month as tuition fees besides other expenses. Asked what category of people the Trust considers 'underprivileged', Supriya Sule, MP and managing trustee, said in an SMS, "I appreciate your concern. We have only taken this for a few months. Rest assured we are paying rent and will be moving out as soon as possible."
Documents reveal on May 5, the estates department got possession of the building from the developer and handed over its physical possession to the school education department. On May 6, the latter agreed to rent out part of the building, which is a ground plus three structure spread over 40,330sq ft, for a year only.
Asked about the speedy clearance, additional municipal commissioner Mohan Adtani said it was not the only file to move swiftly. "Other files move equally fast," he said.
Sule had written that the construction of the school's original premises at Chandivali had been delayed due to unforeseen circumstances and that it had taken in more than 550 students. "To avoid loss of a term for these students we request you to grant us permission to use 22 rooms at the BMC Training Centre, at Raheja Vihar, Chandivali," reads the document procured under the Right to Information Act. Part of the institute — 18 rooms — is leased from May15, 2011 to April 14, 2012.
But the Pawar Public School (nursery to Class X) which has an ICSE curriculum, charges Rs 2,800 per month as tuition fees besides other expenses. Asked what category of people the Trust considers 'underprivileged', Supriya Sule, MP and managing trustee, said in an SMS, "I appreciate your concern. We have only taken this for a few months. Rest assured we are paying rent and will be moving out as soon as possible."
Documents reveal on May 5, the estates department got possession of the building from the developer and handed over its physical possession to the school education department. On May 6, the latter agreed to rent out part of the building, which is a ground plus three structure spread over 40,330sq ft, for a year only.
Asked about the speedy clearance, additional municipal commissioner Mohan Adtani said it was not the only file to move swiftly. "Other files move equally fast," he said.
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