Ranchi: Ashok Nagar, an elite neighbourhood in the state capital, has come under the scanner of the registrar of co-operative societies following the chief minister's order to probe how the residential area has slowly converted itself into a commercial hub.
Over 200 business establishments have cropped up over the years in the upmarket area spread over 155 acres and having 508 houses.
A four-member team headed by joint register (co-operative society) Chandradeo Ranjan visited the office of Services Housing Co-operative Society behind thana outpost on Wednesday to collect documents.
They sought papers through which land for the development of housing colony for government officials was acquired in 1961. They also procured letters used to allocate plots to government officials, who later leased them out to private parties.
Other documents sought by the team included copies of resolutions taken in the meetings of the society's governing body and board of directors, a break-up of housing and commercial complexes in the colony and the details of action taken by the co-operative society against land owners who are using their plots for commercial purposes.
Besides Chandradeo Ranjan, the other team members were deputy registrar (co-operative societies) Ravi Shanker Pandey, district co-operative officer Manoj Kumar and assistant registrar (co-operative societies) Ajay Shrivastava.
The registrar of co-operative societies registers, inspects and settles disputes of co-operative societies.
Ranjan said the probe report would be submitted before registrar (co-operative societies) Shravan Soy on Thursday. "Besides collecting documents, we visited different parts of the colony and took photographs of the commercial establishments," he said.
The business establishments included over 10 schools, office of Jindal Steel, banks, cowsheds, diagnostic centre, guest house and banquet hall.
A local resident welcomed the move. "Commercial activities are going for many years and information had been sent to the government several times. This is for the first time the government seems serious about the issue possibly because Puja Singhal, who also resides in the same colony, has become secretary of state agriculture, animal husbandry and co-operative department. It is a cause for concern that more than 50 IAS and IPS officers staying in the locality remained mute spectators while the area got converted to a commercial hub," the resident said requesting anonymity.
Another resident attributed this transformation to the office bearers of the society.
"The colony was set up for government employees in united Bihar days, but now its is mostly occupied by businessmen, contractors and other non-government workers. All these happened in full knowledge of the office bearers of the co-operative society. The society's bylaws do not allow anyone who is not in not in government service to reside here," the resident, staying in Ashok Nagar for the last 30 years, said.
Secretary of the housing society Gopal Ji Prasad said he was worried. "The society always writes to land owners not to use plots for commercial purpose, but despite this commercial use is continuing unabated. We do not have any police force to enforce the rules," Prasad said.
