The Bhopal Development Authority (BDA) on Monday measured the land allotted to National Herald group in MP Nagar Zone I where exist a shopping mall Vishal Mega Mart and other business establishments including Mangalam and Lotus. The activity was part of the BDA’s move to claim rights over the land in court.
This land, measuring 1 acre was originally allotted for Rs 1 lakh in 1982 to Associated Journals Limited (AJL), which brought out English daily National Herald, Hindi daily Navjeevan and Urdu daily Kaumi Awaz.
Confirming the information regarding the measurement, BDA public relations officer Vibha Sharma said in 2011 when the lease was about to be renewed, the authority noticed that the land, which was allotted for publications, was being used for commercial use so the authority denied to renew it.
“We had allotted this land to the National Herald group on a very nominal rate when Press Complex was being developed in MP Nagar, but we (BDA) observed that commercial activities were going on the land and hence repeatedly sent notices and cancelled the lease in 2012,” Sharma said.
After the lease got cancelled, the AJL group filed a case against BDA in the district court, but lost. “The group had lost the legal battle in the lower court and hence they are taking the case to high court. We are doing a survey, taking photographs and also making videos to prove our point in the court,” Vibha Sharma added.
Notably, a legal battle for the possession on the land continues between BDA and those who claim to be owners of the land. As per the BDA sources, the BDA paid attention to the land when lease of the land given for 30 years expired in 2011.
Then the BDA authorities came to know the ownership of the land had changed several hands.
Private firm moves high court on National Herald property
A private firm has moved the high court challenging a lower court order in Bhopal that rejected its plea to be made a party in owning a suit pertained to the property of The Associated Journals Limited, the publisher of National Herald in Bhopal.
The private firm, in its petition, has made Bhopal Development Authority and The Associated Journals Limited as respondents. The lower court rejected the application of the firm on September 18, 2015 for making it party in the suit pending before it. The petitioner claimed that it has got leasehold rights over a portion of the property as it owned the office space for which it was paying tax to BMC. Hence, it has right in the suit. The petitioner’s counsel said ownership rights of the superstructure, are with those who purchased leasehold rights in the said offices or press spaces in building known as ‘City Centre’.
“The instant suit for eviction from plot no 1 cannot be decided without hearing the petitioner, who has exclusive leasehold ownership right of the part of the city centre building and also is currently in possession thereof,” he said.
