NATIONAL TEXTILE Corporation (NTC) is a government organisation having the largest share of city’s prime land. But at the same time it is facing encroachment on its prime land including residential bungalows, which occurred over a passage of time due to the indifferent attitude of the then management.
According to sources, about 20 residential bungalows and land worth about Rs 150 crore situated at prime locations in Civil Lines, Generalganj, Kaushal Puri, Fajalganj, Darshan Purwa, Kakadev and Sarojani Nagar.
A large number of bungalows are occupied by ex-officers and employees of the NTC, while some are occupied by civilians having nothing to do with NTC. In the beginning, the allotment was done for a short duration by the then NTC management. But later, no steps were taken to get them back by the management, alleged sources. The same way ex-officers and employees were not compelled vacate their accommodation before leaving the NTC.
Further, sources blamed the then top management for encroachments and failed to put enough efforts in getting official accommodation vacated. Instead, they indirectly helped by providing enough time to illegal occupants to take necessary steps in their defence, alleged sources.
Sources cite the example of a bungalow located at Civil Lines and allegedly occupied by one Dr Pushpa Tarachand. They said that it was allotted for three months about 15 years back on a rent of Rs 250 per month to conduct exhibitions of garments produced by Mahila Kalyan Nigam. However, after that it was occupied by Dr Tarachand, the then president of the Nigam. But the then NTC management did not take any action against the illegal occupation of their property and about four years later, a case under Public Premises (PP) Act was lodged at the district court. However, the same bungalow was still under the control of the occupant.
{{/usCountry}}Sources cite the example of a bungalow located at Civil Lines and allegedly occupied by one Dr Pushpa Tarachand. They said that it was allotted for three months about 15 years back on a rent of Rs 250 per month to conduct exhibitions of garments produced by Mahila Kalyan Nigam. However, after that it was occupied by Dr Tarachand, the then president of the Nigam. But the then NTC management did not take any action against the illegal occupation of their property and about four years later, a case under Public Premises (PP) Act was lodged at the district court. However, the same bungalow was still under the control of the occupant.
{{/usCountry}}In the same way, other bungalows have been occupied by many former employees, which are also located at different prime locations in the city.
Talking to the Hindustan Times, a senior member of the UP NTC management committee and also senior manager legal Gulab Singh said, “Legal proceedings against the occupants have been initiated and the time is nearing, when they would have to hand over the bungalows.”
At the same time, NTC Staff Association State general secretary Rajendra Trivedi demanded that anti-encroachment drive on NTC land in the city should be initiated. He further said that if the government was interested in real terms to generate employment in the city, then the Union Textile Ministry should construct a textile park in Kanpur on NTC land. Members of the association would raise the same demand with Kanpur MP and Minster of State Sri Prakash Jaiswal and also with the State Government representative from the city, added Trivedi.