MUMBAI, Feb. 6 -- The Bombay High Court has directed the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to explain on what basis it decided to pay Rs.12.66 crore to the National Sports Club of India (NSCI) for the use of its premises as a Jumbo Covid Quarantine Centre during the Covid-19 pandemic. The petition, filed by NSCI last year, sought compensation since its facilities were used as a Jumbo COVID Center for 30 months by the BMC. The request was made in reference to a circular passed by the BMC on April 30, 2020, which said that private premises used for emergencies would be compensated. Earlier in November, the BMC had submitted that it would calculate the dues to be paid to NSCI and prepare a chart by December, 2025. Along with premises roughly measuring 23,116.63 sq.m, including the stadium, the civic body had said that it had also used an additional area of 18,205.42 sq.m of open land belonging to the NSCI. However, the civic body now denies using any of the additional area and has excluded it from its compensation calculations, prompting the court to question its calculations. During the hearing on December 3, the BMC said it would involve a senior advocate to help settle the amount it owed the NSCI. While the court said it "does not approve of such tactics being adopted by a corporation", the bench directed the civic body to produce the original file containing all the documents involved when the corporation used the NSCI property for the Covid centre. On January 28, the BMC told the court that it had not used the area outside the quarantine portion along with the open area around the constructed covid centre. As per calculations by the BMC assistant commissioner the civic body told the court it owed the NSCI Rs.12.66 crore. Noting the "erroneous" calculation, a division bench of justices Ravindra V Ghuge and Abhay J Mantri, directed the BMC commissioner to file an affidavit by February 6, clarifying the formula the civic body had used to come to the Rs.12.66 crore compensation. The court also ordered the BMC to explain whether it had not utilised even an inch of land outside the Jumbo Quarantine Centre. The bench stated that if the commissioner agrees that no land outside the quarantine centre was used, he will have to explain where the civic body had set up the medical gas pipeline system, compressors, vacuum pumps, oxygen gas pipeline, and other medical infrastructure which was installed to ensure that the Jumbo Quarantine Centre was used in the best possible manner. The court will hear the matter again on February 11....