Cops permit eateries encroaching RTMNU land to continue business

Cops permit eateries encroaching RTMNU land to continue business

                                                 

 

IN 1992 when Rashirasani lukadoji Maharaj Nagpur University (HTMNU) willingly donated its 70.09 acre land lo government for sports complex, nobody ever thought that the land would belost forever. Instead of sports complex, eating joints have come up on the university land, evokingsharp protests from all quarters. Public outrage, favourable judicial orders and even solemn declaration on the floor of Assembly has not helped University in securing its land from the encroachers. To add to its woes, now City Police have 'shielded'theeatingjoints by permitting them to continue business. Anoop Kumar, former Acting Vice-Chancellor and Divisional Commissioner had objected to renewal of eating licenses of the eateries.After fighting a lengthy battle in court. KTMNU did get back 44.5 acre land, but remaining land is still with State Government. Moreover, almost 10 acre land has been encroached upon by eating joints and they have questioned the RTMNU's ownership and are strongly opposing eviction in civil courts. In the mean-lime. University has objected to continuance of theeaterieson its land. i-ven people have raised a question how could these eating joints function on the land belonging to the university?To run eating joint, one needs ownership rights and the build-ingplansanctioned.These joints do not have both. But still police permitted Ihem to do business. According  to DeputyCommissioner of Police (DCP) Abhinash Kumar, if the jointshave FDA license, NMC permission then he can allow ihem to function. FDA gives license to any Street vendor because the au thor-ities do not require that the joint should havepropcrhuilding. Still how police permitted? Abhinash Kumar has an argument. According to the Bombay Police Act, people who run the joints should not be trouble-creators. Surprisingly. Stale Excise Department has already registered offences against the eateries encroaching upon the varsity land.Fourvearsback, 'The Hitavada' highlighted the issue after which the KTMNU authorities came out ol drip slumber. The news report made the varsity aware about how Social Justice Department constructed the wall on the 20-acrc land-ostensibly for its own project, but it was not in the interest of the university. University then initiated some steps and successfully stopped the activity.This time university is probably unaware about new encroachments. Around five acre land opposite Vice-Chancellor's bungalow, which isa part of70.09 acre land which government is yet to handed over to the university, has been encroached upon by slum-dwellers. F.arlier, thevarsity foiled a political leaders bid to buili a skating rink on that land.According to sources, the university brought this to the notice ofihedistrict administration, but due to Lok Sabha and Assembly elections, the issue could not be seriously tackled.University handed over this land to Slate Government for sports complex. But this complex was shifted to Mankapur. After (hat the government just forgot to hand over the land back to university. Late Balraj Aher took alot of initiatives to help varsity get back the land. lie along with other university bigwigs fought the battle on streets, met some political leaders. So many meetings were held with the then Revenue         Minister         ofMaharashtra, NarayanRanc, but in vain. The matter ultimately reached High Court with Citizen's Forum taking up the cudgels to save the land forposterity. On the petition, theCourt directed Slate Government to return the 44.5 acres land to die university. Since then, nobody ever bothered to get back the land. Now, people have high hopes from Chief Minister Devendra I;adnavis hailing from ihe city, alumni of ihe university. Fadnavis was member of Senate of the university.

Posted in: News 2014