A day after the notice stuck on the premises of Young Indian Limited’s office in in Herald House at Delhi, the State government has announced a probe into the national herald assets in state capital Bhopal. The instructions have been issued to constitute a committee under the chairmanship of a senior IAS officer to initiate the probe.
Urban Administration and Development Minister Bhupendra Singh made the above remark while addresswould complete the probe of the case within a month.
Singh told media persons that whoever had been using the national herald building for commercial purposes would be investigated and the property would be sealed according to the probe report.
The government would also take action against the officials who changed the land uses of the property. Besides, those who took the land in the name of freedom fighters and then got registered the property in their own name, would now be screwed, he added.
The minister further took a dig at the Congress party and said that Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi got the property of National Herald in his name in Delhi, while the place was given in the name of 3000 freedom fighters. The Congress did not spare even the freedom fighters, therefore, there was no relief from the Supreme Court and these people were out on bail, he added.
It is pertinent to mention that 1.14 acres of land was allotted on concessional rates to National Herald for 30 years of lease in 1981. The National Herald established a building and set up its office, where publication of the newspaper also started. However, it was stopped in 1992, as per inputs.
When in 2011, at the expiry of the said lease, the administration reached to take over the possession, they found that the building was converted into a commercial complex with big showrooms. Thereafter, when the proceedings to get the plot vacated began, many buyers came forward and the issue reached Court.