Subject : Fact-Sheet on PCI Land issue
Dear Members
As you are aware, Press Club of India was allotted a piece of land on Rajendra Prasad Road (Bungalow number 6&7, Plot C) in 2002. On October 8, 2014, the L&DO raised a demand notice of Rupees 1,31, 62441/- (Rs. 1.31 crore) and the Club Management paid all dues to the government through its internal resources. This was the time when the Club would have got the possession of the land but the two bungalows were occupied – one by a BJP MP and another by NHAI Chairman.
Many reminders and letters to the L&DO were sent but the possession was not given. Instead of giving possession of land to the Club, L&DO, when again approached personally by the President and the Secretary-General, slapped a demand notice of Rs. 2.47 crore on November 10, 2017 before handing over possession of the allotted land. It was stated that by the government that this additional burden was on account of the land rate revision and the ground rent which the Club has to pay even if it did not have the possession of the land.
So far, PCI has paid Rs. 1,43,04258 , Rs. 1.31,62441, Rs. 2, 45,80890 and Rs. 12 lakh (interest) to the government. The total amount paid to the government for the allotted land comes to Rs. 5,32,47589.
The Managing Committee decided to pay the entire due to the L&DO in four installments which was approved by the government and the entire amount had to be paid by March 31, 2018. The Managing Committee raised funds through long-term (5 and 10 years subscription in advance) plan, through associate members, special drive to collect arrears which ran into Rs. 2.20 crores, donations to the PCI Building Fund, short-term interest free loan of Rs. 17 lakhs only from two of our members. All payments were received through cheques only and no (no) cash dealings were resorted to.
PCI paid the entire amount of Rs. 2.47 crores in four installments to the L&DO. An interest amounting to Rs. 12 lakh was also paid. All payments were made by June 13, 2018 through RTGS from PCI’s current account in State Bank of India (SBI).
On June 19,2018, the PCI received a letter from L&DO, informing us of handing over the physical possession of the allotted land in the afternoon of June 20,2018 through a surveyor appointed by the government. In a sudden move, PCI President received a SMS from Dy. L&DO that the possession would not be handed over on June 20, 2018 due to some unavoidable reasons.
After that Secretary-General has sent three reminders to L&DO to expedite the handing over of the possession. One reminder was also sent to the Minister of State for Urban Development and Housing, requesting him to hand over the possession of the land as all dues as demanded by the Ministry had been paid by the PCI. Till date, we have not received any official communication either from the L&DO or from the Ministry.
Allotment of land and the possession letter of June 19, 2018 are still held by the PCI.
We express our heartfelt gratitude to a majority of our esteemed members for excellent cooperation extended by them. The issue of handing over of possession of the land still remains unsolved.
Managing Committee
Press Club of India
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GpJGhWPgSz0
