India, July 30 -- A major controversy has erupted over the Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) granting Rs.2,800 crore worth of Transferable Development Rights (TDR) to a private company against forest land in Thane. TMC corporators on Tuesday questioned the legality of this and voiced concerns about the pressure the proposed project would put on Thane's environment and infrastructure.

Denying any role in it, municipal commissioner Saurabh Rao blamed the forest department, saying it had failed to challenge the Bombay high court order which granted the TDR to the private company in time. However, documents show that the forest department had sought permission to file a Special Leave Petition from the law and judiciary department well in adv...