Patanjali Trust told to pay balance lease money

SOLAN: Hopes of the multi-crore medical, health and tourism project of yog guru Baba Ramdev’s Patanjali Yogpeeth Trust at Kehlog village finally becoming a reality have been revived with the state government directing the district administration to initiate the process of recovering the slashed lease amount .

Tribune News Service

Solan, December 6

Hopes of the multi-crore medical, health and tourism project of yog guru Baba Ramdev’s Patanjali Yogpeeth Trust at Kehlog village finally becoming a reality have been revived with the state government directing the district administration to initiate the process of recovering the slashed lease amount .

According to the Cabinet decision, the Trust is supposed to deposit the remaining one-time lease money of about Rs 2.22 core for the 28 acres. The one-time lease amount had been drastically reduced from 27 crore to Rs 2.39 crore, while Rs 17,31, 214 has already been paid by the trust.

The project has seen several flip-flops ever since it was initiated in 2010, when it was granted its first lease by the previous BJP government on payment of Rs 17,31,214 in lump sum. It was given as per the provisions of the HP Lease Rules, 1993, and it was supposed to be used for the sole purpose of setting up this medical centre. The foundation stone of this centre was laid on June 20, 2010, by the former Chief Minister PK Dhumal

However, the project had run into rough weather with the Congress coming to power and its lease was cancelled in February 27, 2013, shortly before its first phase was to be inaugurated by Baba Ramdev. As much as Rs 14 crore had already been spent in its first phase. Though the Trust had filed a case in the court against the cancellation of this lease by the Congress government, it had later withdrawn it as per the condition laid by the state government in 2017.

The Congress government revised the lease amount in May last year, whereby, one-tenth of the circle rate was supposed to be paid as the lease. The circle rate was pegged at Rs 12.85 lakh per bigha and the Trust was directed to pay Rs 12 crore as the annual lease money.

To pay Rs 2.22 cr

The trust is supposed to deposit the remaining one-time lease money of Rs 2.22 crore for 28 acres
The amount had been drastically reduced from 27 crore to Rs 2.39 crore
An amount of Rs 17.31 lakh has been paid by it