LUCKNOW: Directions were issued on Tuesday for the cancellation of allotment of 72 plots to two organisations – Abhinav Shikshan Evam Samaj Sewa Sansthan and Seema Shikshan Evam Samaj Sewa Sansthan – linked with MSME minister Rakesh Sachan.
The plots had been allotted to the two organisations in 2011-12 but no development has taken place on the land under the Fatehpur industrial areas, since then. Sachan, however, claimed that he had already conveyed to the government that he wanted to surrender the plots.
The matter regarding the allotment came to light in a complaint filed by Laghu Udyog Bharati, a pan-India non-profit for empowering MSMEs, on February 11, where it was stated that no work had been done on the allotted land for the past 10 years. The allotment was made when Sachan was the Fatehpur MP from the Samajwadi Party. Sources said that the allotment itself was not as per norms and even the security money for the same had not been deposited.
Sachan told TOI that the organisations had not even received allotment letters in the past 10 years and no notice demanding any payment. “We received the allotment letter on February 15 and immediately, the two organisations wrote back saying that they wanted to surrender the plots as there was no point in developing any educational institute in the area as many others had come up in the past 10 years,” he said.
On Tuesday, in a meeting of Udyog Bandhu, a state government organisation dedicated to facilitating investment in industrial and service sectors, it was decided to cancel the allotment, stating that it was in light of the two organisations submitting a letter to surrender the plots.
On February 11, Satyendra Singh, president, Laghu Udyog Bharati, Fatehpur, had apprised the industries department about several industrial plots that had been allotted years ago and were lying unused. This also mentioned the 32 plots in Chakhata and 40 in Sadhuwapur which had been allotted to Sachan’s organisations. Subsequent to this, a two-member committee was set up to look into the complaint.
The committee submitted its report on February 17 where it said that as far as the 72 plots were concerned, no lease deed was signed nor was any fee paid. The report, which also said that no notice was issued to the organisations during this time, prima facie, found the managing director and additional commissioner, industries, guilty for the lapse.
