Bollywood actress and BJP MP Hema Malini's dance academy in Mumbai's Oshiwara was allotted land worth Rs. 70 crore for just Rs. 1.75 lakh an RTI query has revealed. Maharashtra government 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, under a revised policy, documents accessed by RTI activist Anil Galgali shows.

But an RTI plea filed earlier by Galgali had revealed that the actor 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 Ms. Hema Malini, has already paid Rs. 10 lakh as advance, the government would have to refund the outstanding Rs. 8.25 lakh to her.

“Yes, we would have to return money to her. However, the money would be returned only if the government orders us to do so,”Mumbai Suburban Collector Shekhar Channe.

“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. 8.25 lakh to her as she gave Rs. 10 lakh as advance in 1997,” he said.

According to the documents, the land in question is reserved for a garden, and allotment has been done on the basis of valuation prevailing as on February 1, 1976, which was Rs. 350 per square metre.