MC takes possession of cinema land

Harshraj Singh

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, June 30

Finally, the Municipal Corporation has taken possession of its land adjoining to Society Cinema six years after the court orders. The land worth over Rs 20 crore is part of an old drain near Clock Tower.

The MC had given that chunk of land to Society Cinema on lease decades ago. But, it had taken no concrete steps to take possession of the land after the expiry of lease period.

According to information, the Punjab and Haryana High Court had earlier rejected the demand of the cinema authorities to allow them to use the land. After the court’s directions in 2014, the MC was supposed to take the possession of its land adjoining to the cinema but the process was being ‘delayed’ by the MC authorities concerned.

It was also highlighted in the forensic audit report, which was prepared by a private firm, that the possession of the land was with the lessee even after the expiry of the lease period.

Earlier, Rohit Sabharwal, from the Council of RTI Activists, had complained to the Chief Minister, Capt Amarinder Singh, against the civic body authorities for not taking action to take possession of the prime land adjoining to the cinema. “The land close to the drain was given on lease to the cinema. But the lease period expired years ago. As some officials were involved in the conspiracy to cause financial losses to the MC of Ludhiana, they did not take any concrete step to take possession of the land in the past years,” he said.

The Municipal Town Planner, Monika Anand, said the MC had taken possession of the land to ensure compliance of the court orders. “We have written to the B&R branch to take further steps with regard to the land,” she added.

The Chief Vigilance Officer, Local Government, had asked the MC to send an action taken report and inform it about the status of encroachments in the city.