GHAZIABAD: On May 28 the Ghaziabad Development Authority (GDA) cancelled the allotment of 11,503 square yard land to Institute of Management Technology, here in its Raj Nagar campus. The president of the governing council of the institute is Bakul Nath, son of Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath, whose family owns the society that runs the institute.

The orders were issued after a committee of GDA officials conducted an inquiry over allegations made by municipal councillor Rajendra Tyagi. Tyagi on March 11 had made public several RTI replies and documents alleging that about 10,841 square yards of GDA land was allegedly merged with the campus of IMT, Ghaziabad.

A close aide of the Madhya Pradesh chief minister had last told news agency IANS that the charges levelled by the BJP leader were baseless and the probe being initiated by the Uttar Pradesh government, was to harass Nath’s family.

During an enquiry, the GDA found that IMT was in possession of 11503 square yards land which belonged to the authority. The IMT campus is spread over an area of about 66,000 square yards including the land in question. Tyagi had produced documents which showed that the society running the institute was given the land in 1968 on concessional rates by then Ghaziabad Improvement Trust.

The GDA said they did not receive any payment for the land and formed a committee to find out the status. The officials said that they found that no payment was made to the authority for over 30 years. “We have cancelled the allotment of the land and a notice has also been sent to IMT, Ghaziabad,” said Santosh Kumar Rai, secretary of GDA.

About two weeks ago, the GDA and IMT officials also held a meeting in which the institute officials were told to pay the market value of the land or return it to the authority. Even though no demand was raised by the authority, a cancellation notice was sent on Tuesday.

“During inspection of records we found that the land was once allotted to the institute but they did not pay for it. The last demand notice for payment was sent to them in 1994 but no payment was made,” said CP Tripathi, additional secretary – GDA.

The officials of IMT, Ghaziabad said that they have also come to know about the cancellation notice issued by GDA but not yet received it.

“We are waiting for the notice and it will arrive in a day or two. We could not produce the evidence during the meeting with GDA that we paid for the land in question. But they also did not take any action for about 30 years. We shall take legal recourse. It is an educational institution and there is no unlawful activity,” said Dr Asish K Bhattacharyya, director, IMT, Ghaziabad.

IMT officials said the institute has about 1400 students and a hostel facility on the campus has also come up on the land in question.

“We are ready to pay if they raise a demand. We were awaiting a demand from GDA after the meeting but we did not receive it,” Bhattacharyya said.

Ghaziabad-based IMT is considered among the top private business schools in the country. (Courtesy : The Hindustan Times)