Under lens

Ranchi, April 4: Jharkhand High court today directed the state government to set up a vigilance bureau inquiry into the affairs of Dhanbad Club which had allegedly been handed over prime public property for a pittance.

The court was hearing a PIL filed by one Vishal Kumar who has alleged that the club had been leased out land in a prime location in the coal hub by the Dhanbad District Board at Re 1 for 80 cottah of land for a year.

During the hearing, a division bench of Chief Justice Bhagwati Prasad and Justice D.N. Patel directed Union Club to increase the rent it was paying to the board.

The bench observed the club was a private organisation in control of public land which had been settled for a pittance. And if it wanted the land it should pay a minimum rate of Rs 20 per sq feet or else the land should be auctioned off.

The court also added that all shops owned by the club would now come under the control of the board which could claim rents accrued.

The PIL alleged that the club’s lease wasn’t original and that manipulations had been made to claim the land of the board. In the light of the accusations, the bench decided to order the government to transfer the matter to the vigilance bureau for investigation.

The court also warned the Dhanbad chapter of Indian Medical Association for having constructed a three-storied building on board land without proper sanction of plans.

“The IMA building is also under the scanner and there is every possibility of a demolition,” the court warned. The next hearing was scheduled for Thursday.

On the problem of encroachments in the state capital, the judges asked government counsel R.R.Mishra whether he had visited Oswal Bhavan at Pepee Compound after it was pointed out at the last hearing that the building, let out for marriages, had a narrow approach road.

Mishra said he had and agreed with the court’s observation that fire tenders would not be able to reach the building in case of an emergency.

“Government officers have only drawn their salaries and have not bothered to work,” the judges commented after hearing Mishra’s statement.

The court also pulled up Ranchi Regional Development Authority (RRDA) for not restoring building basements into parking spaces even though many had been sealed on the court’s orders.

“Practically, nothing has been done to restore the parking spaces in such buildings,” the court added.

In another PIL filed by one Dhananjay Dubey concerning construction of the Namkum railway over bridge, the court issued contempt notices to the state government and road construction secretary for not being able to complete the bridge within the March 31 deadline.

The state government tried to blame the Centre for the delay, but the court would have nothing of that. The case will be taken up again on Thursday.