Noted Gandhian under cloud for selling Trust land to pvt builder

The Holding Trustee and Secretary of the Gandhi Smarak Nidhi S K Bandopadhyaya, has issued a public notice stating that Balasaheb Bharade, the chairman of the Trust, has leased out a big plot of land, belonging to the Gandhi Smarak Nidhi, New Delhi, without authority or seeking permission from the Gandhi Smarak Nidhi.

According to Bandopadhyaya, the builder has invited applications from interested persons promising them the construction of luxurious bungalow-type flats with swimming pools. The public notice states that the land on which the construction was proposed to be made was not the property of the Maharashtra Gandhi Smarak Nidhi nor could its chairman lease out the property to anybody.

The Trust, through the public notice, has warned the general public against dealing or investing in M/s Rohan Builders regarding the concerned plot of land in Kothrud. Bandopadhyaya stated that the trust was in the process of filing a suit against both Bharade and M/s Rohan Builders.

When contacted, Balasaheb Bharade said that the controversy had arisen due to some misunderstanding and blamed some mischievous elements for causing problems. 8220;We have nothing to hide and we do not want any controversy over this issue,8221; Bharade told The Indian Express.Bharade maintained that the Trust had neither sold the land nor had given it on lease. He said that the Trust had only entered into a development agreement with the builder for the FSI.

Bharade justified the decision of the Trust to hand over the land to the private builder by saying that the funds raised from the transaction would be utilised for the establishment of a Gandhi Vidyapeeth on the lines of the Gujarat University with the aim of spreading Gandhian ideals.

8220;A decision was taken at the state-level meeting of the Maharashtra Gandhi Smarak Nidhi, some years ago, to set up a Gandhi Vidyapeeth and this would require about 15 acres of land,8221; he said.

Bharade said that they had taken this decision since there was no other way for the Trust to generate funds for the setting up of the Gandhi Vidyapeeth and the land under the development scheme was lying unproductive for about 35 years.

The Trust has about 10 acres of land at Kothrud Survey no 36/2 and has decided to transfer the development rights of 46,550 sq. ft. to the builder. The concerned authorities have been notified about the transaction, he said.Bharade believed that the controversy might have arisen since the New Delhi office of the Nidhi might may have chosen to believe that the Maharashtra Gandhi Smarak Nidhi was not following objectives, outlined by the Trust. But this was not the truth.

The Maharashtra Gandhi Smarak Nidhi, in its meeting held on Saturday, resolved to invite the New Delhi office-bearers of the Nidhi to Pune to check out the facts for themselves. Bharade said he did not wish to get dragged into any controversy and was even willing to hand over the entire project of the establishment of the university to them.