E-Paper
Day of parleys: Halwasiya not on hit-list
SHOPKEEPERS OF the Halwasiya Market can heave a sigh of relief. After going through property records and a marathon meeting on the advice of the Custodian of Enemy Property, who arrived in the State capital on Saturday, the authorities have decided not to serve eviction notice to its occupants.
SHOPKEEPERS OF the Halwasiya Market can heave a sigh of relief. After going through property records and a marathon meeting on the advice of the Custodian of Enemy Property, who arrived in the State capital on Saturday, the authorities have decided not to serve eviction notice to its occupants.
“It has been established that the property in question was leased out for a period of 90-years by the Raja of Mahmudabad in 1937 to Ganesh Das Ram Gopal of Kakarwali Kothi. As such, it cannot be clubbed with other properties of Mahmudabad,” said an official. The lease, he said, was valid till 2027, adding that it was for the erstwhile Raja to see whether any of the terms and conditions mentioned in the lease had been flouted by the leaseholder.
Of the six properties in the State capital, only possession of Butler Palace has been handed over to the scion of Mahmudabad Mohd Amir Mohd Khan, so far.
The remaining five include Lawrie Building, 50-54 Mahatma Gandhi Marg, Mahmudabad Mansion, 31-39, MG Marg, Zareef Manzil, Moulviganj, Siddique Building, 158/51 Ganga Prasad Road and Imambara Malka Zamania at 195/20 Jagat Narain Road. Both District Magistrate Ramendra Tripathi and SSP GK Goswami had held meeting with the tenants of these properties on Thursday in which they (occupants) were told to vacate the premises voluntarily to avoid forcible ejection. Commissioner RK Mittal has once again convened a meeting with occupants of these properties on Sunday.
Sources, on the other hand, said any eviction exercise was unlikely to take place before Monday. The administration, which has time till August 31 to ensure compliance, seems to have adopted a wait-and-watch-policy as of now, apparently, with an eye on the Lucknow Bench of the Allahabad High Court, which is seized with the matter. At least six tenants have filed a petition in the High Court challenging eviction notice served on them by Sub Divisional Magistrate, the managing officer of enemy properties in the city. Custodian of Enemy Property Dinesh Singh has been directed to submit a counter-affidavit in the matter by the court.
On the other hand, Revenue Minister Ambika Chowdhary and principal secretary revenue VK Sharma held high-level meetings with administration officials and the Custodian on the issue. Later, Chowdhary said the officials of Barabanki, Sitapur, Lakhimpur Kheri and Mahmudabad, where the Raja’s property existed, had been asked to implement the court order within the stipulated time frame.
He said possession of some properties had already been handed over to the scion of Mahmudabad and that of the remaining would be transferred as per law keeping the larger public interest in mind.
