CHANDRAPUR, NOV 15: The row between the Revenue Department and some local businessmen over the plot of land for a proposed medical complex here has finally ended with the District Collector terming the construction on the plot owned by the department as illegal.The Revenue land, admeasuring about 13,600 sq ft at Jatpura locality was leased out to former member of Parliament and senior Congress leader Adv Kaushik before the Independence.Kaushik had constructed a building for residential purpose on the plot of land and abandoned it after shifting to a place of his choice near Janata College in his old age. The lease expired in April 1952 and was not renewed, it is gathered.The plot which once was on the outskirts of the city became a prime location. Kaushik reportedly sold it to nine reputed PWD contractors namely Arun Ghotekar, Prakash Trivedi, Prashant Dave, Surendra Dave, Amritlal Paul, Jaykumar Thakur, Jyotiben Surendra Dave, Savitri Bai Amrutlal Paul and Amar Bahadur Dhanpal Singh in 1991 i.e. 41years after expiry of the lease.The contractors did not take up any work on the plot till 1998. President of the District Chemists and Druggists' Association Purushottam Sarda thought of utilizing this land for a medical complex having all medical facilities under one roof. He formed Shri Pawansut Associates with 24 members and negotiated with the group of nine new owners of the land.An application was sent to the Ministry of Revenue for extension of the lease from 1952 and inclusion of the names of nine contractors as lease-holders since Adv Klaushik had handed over the land to them.A favourable order was passed by the ministry in this regard, but with some conditions. The contractors were asked to do valuation of the land as per the present market rates and to deposit 75 percent of the value with the Revenue Department if the plot was being utilized for commercial purposes and 50 percent of the value in case it was used for residential purposes. It was also made clear that the lease-holders wouldbe required to pay 15 percent of the value as rent annually.However, the department did not take any steps itself for valuation. Meanwhile, Sarda initiated purchase of the plot in the name of 24 members of Shri Pawansuta Associates.A sale-deed was executed with Savitri Devi Paul, one of nine lease-holders, for Rs 2.5 lakh on October 13, 1999 in the names of Purushottam Sarda, Nitin Purushottam Sarda, Rajani Bhalchandra Gampawar, Milind Bhalchandra Gampawar, Hema Mukund Dube, Mohan Badrinrayan Mundhada, Ramankishor Radhakisan Chandak, Ram Suganomal Sabnani, Laxmi Ramachandra Sabnani, Tarachand Asaram Kabra, Manikchand Asaram Kabra, Vilas Sadashiv Kasangottuwar, Satish Shridhar Izmulwar, Sanjay Narayan Kahcharlwar, Sheetal Rajendra Kahjanchi, Sanjay Durgalala Ramvat, Dr Vinod Rajeshwar Bhat, Omprakash Madanlal Chandak, Prashant Kamalkishor Jaju, Ramesh Sambashiv Aglave, Manish Shrikrishnakumar Jaiswal and Subhash Mathurdas Sadarani. Interestingly, all of these are reputed chemists and druggists and one isan ENT surgeon.Soon after executing the sale-deed, Shri Pawansut Associates started the work. The demolition of old building was complete and excavation for the proposed medical complex was also carried out.It is also learnt that whereas the construction was undertaken by nine contractors who had purchased the land from Adv Kaushik, Sarda approached the court to clarify that as the sale deed amount was less than Rs five lakh, it did not attract the conditions stipulated by the State Revenue Department.
