Lease expired years ago, Ludhiana MC yet to take possession

Harshraj Singh

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, February 17

The Municipal Corporation has failed to take possession of many properties the lease of which expired years ago. It has also come to light that the allotment date of some of prime properties is unknown.

According to a forensic audit report, it was noticed that four properties belonging to the Municipal Corporation of Ludhiana were leased out to separate parties. Of these, the lease of a site given to an old cinema near Clock Tower has expired. While the possession of the site is still with the lessee, the period of lease is unknown, according to the report. There are three more properties in Chaura Bazaar and Daresi Road of which the lease has expired, but possession is still with the lessees.

Of these three properties, lease of two expired in 1994 and that of the third in 2013, says the report. Neither lease agreements were renewed nor occupancy charges recovered, resulting into loss of revenue to the Municipal Corporation.

The report reads: “The Punjab Public Premises and Land (Eviction and Recovery) Act, 1973, which is also applicable to the Municipal Corporation, provides for the eviction of unauthorised occupants from public premises and for certain incidental matters.”

Date of allotment unknown

The report reveals that the date of allotment of properties given to five allottees, including two colleges, a school, a charitable hospital and a sewa trust, was unknown. Besides, a copy of lease agreement related to these properties is also unavailable on the records of the Municipal Corporation. Lease amount (per annum) for one of the colleges is about Rs 1, Rs 200 for the other college, Rs 250 for the school, Rs 173 for the charitable hospital and Rs 1,084 for the sewa trust.

Following the report, Additional Commissioner Rishipal Singh served notices to the staff concerned and directed them to submit a report in this regard. Rishipal Singh said they were looking into the matter and would take action after getting the report.

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