Plea in HC claims NDMC allotted prime commercial office space to Nagpur-based NGO for Re 1/month
New Delhi: A petition has now been filed in the Delhi High Court challenging the New Delhi Municipal Council's decision to allot a prime commercial office space in the heart of Delhi to a Nagpur-based, RSS-inspired NGO called SAKSHAM at a monthly licence fee of Re 1.
According to documents reviewed by Millennium Post, a 2,000 square feet prime commercial property on the third floor of Shahid Bhagat Singh Place, Gole Market was allotted to the NGO by the NDMC's Welfare department in January last year.
On October 16, the Delhi High Court's Justice Najmi Waziri passed an order stating: "If the allotted space has not yet been occupied by the allottee, let status quo be maintained. A notice will be issued to the allottee by the NDMC, returnable on the next date". The Court also made the observation that "an area of 2,000 square feet on the third floor of a building located in the prime area at Shahid Bhagat Singh Place, Gole Market" is "virtually in the heart of New Delhi. It has been allotted to an NGO at the rate of Re.1 per month as licence fee". The NGO is "possibly not based in Delhi" and its "status, background, experience, and special consideration/justification for allotment of a large, prime government office space at merely Re 1 per month, is not mentioned in the allotment order". The next court hearing in this matter is scheduled for January 21, 2021.
As per NDMC Workers Union President Sudhaker Kumar, who has filed the plea, this is "a direct violation of Section 141 of the NDMC Act (1994). In fact, the property in question falls under the jurisdiction of NDMC's Estate Department, but the allotment was made by the Director of the Welfare Department". As per Section 141 of the NDMC Act (1994), an immovable property cannot be sold, leased or otherwise transferred below its current market price under fair and normal competition. Kumar claimed the market value of the space runs into lakhs per month.
"Following the law, the property in question should have been allotted through an e-auction procedure at a competitive market rent after court verification", Kumar said. "Another NGO, HOPE Foundation, had also applied for the space but was rejected outright", he claimed.
Interestingly, SAKSHAM, on its website, calls itself an outfit "inspired by the
RSS (Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh)".
The NDMC Workers Union had written to the Secretary repeatedly regarding this issue. In a letter dated October 15, 2019, they had requested that "an investigation by an independent agency" be conducted in this matter. They have also said that legal opinion was not taken before the space was allotted.
The NGO is registered in Nagpur and claims to work for the upliftment and emancipation of people with disabilities. Their website showed that they already had a
branch/presence in Delhi (at Mangolpuri's F-Block) along with 39 other offices across the country.
