MUMBAI, March 5 -- Following protests against the decision to hand over the Wilson College Gymkhana ground to the Jain International Organisation (JIO), the Maharashtra government on Wednesday claimed that it had not received any application from the Wilson College gymkhana authorities for lease renewal, and that the land had been taken back from the original lessee in 2023. It also stated that the city collector had never received any complaint against allotting the land to JIO. The clarification was made in the state assembly by the revenue department, which owns most of the government land in the state. The issue was raised by NCP (SP) leader Jayant Patil, who demanded to know the reason behind not renewing the gymkhana lease. He also said that the gymkhana was allotted to JIO despite opposition from local residents. In March 2024, the state cabinet gave its assent to lease the 1,02,000-sq-ft Wilson Gymkhana plot to JIO for a period of 30 years to run its Jain Gymkhana. The decision has since been challenged by the Wilson College Students and Alumni Association in the Bombay high court. Going by official records, the gymkhana land has been with Wilson College since 1940. It was first allotted to Dr Judson W Airan, principal of the college and ex-officio president of the gymkhana, on January 1, 1940 for a period of 30 years. Subsequently, the lease was extended for another 30 years. On September 15, 1998, the name of the lessee was changed to United Church of Northern India Trust Association (UCNITA). "The lease of the plot expired on December 31, 1999, and since then, no one has approached the city collector for renewing the lease," stated revenue minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule in a written reply on Wednesday. "On September 22, 2003, the state government approved a new policy for renewing the lease of gymkhanas. Following this, a notice was served to Wilson College Gymkhana to renew the lease but the policy was scrapped by the Bombay high court, and in the absence of a policy, the lease could not be renewed," he added. Lal Bahadur Kamble, managing director, UCNITA, who also holds the position of secretary in the John Wilson Education Society, which administers the college, expressed astonishment at the explanation. "Is it possible that we would do nothing to hold on to the land which has been with us for so many decades?" he asked. UCNITA has already approached the high court against the state government's decision. It has also approached the Supreme Court after the Bombay high court refused to give an urgent hearing in the case. "The apex court has already issued directives to the high court to treat this with urgency, following which we received the next date for hearing," Kamble revealed. Last month, church priests, local Girgaum residents, alumni, faculty and students of Wilson School and College participated in a protest at Azad Maidan against the decision to hand over the Wilson College gymkhana ground. The gymkhana ground has historic value, having been used for practice by many cricketers and even for Ranji Trophy games....