In a yet another jot to self-styled godman Asaram, Surat district collector has slapped a notice to his ashram for recovery of penalty to the tune of Rs17 core for having encroached on Government land and for using that piece of land illegally for over 14 long years.
The rape accused Asaram and his son Narayan Sai are already passing through turbulent time, now one more hurdle came on their way with the notice on their luxurious Ashram at Jahangirpura area in the diamond city, Surat.
According to the notice, the collector has ordered the ashram to pay the penalty in next 30 days. The ashram has been in possession of 34,440 square metres of Government land illegally since last 14 years and the Gujarat High Court had ordered it to surrender the land to the Government by January 1, 2009. The High Court had also ordered the Ashram to deposit Rs70,000 every month, with the Government, as occupancy fee.
Subsequently the cash rich Ashram, which belongs to the godman, neither surrender the land nor deposited Rs30 lakh in the Government treasury instantly despite completion of time limit given by the court. Meanwhile on June 3, 2010 the district administration took the possession of the land. Reacting on that the Ashram management demanded refund of Rs30 lakh it had deposited. However, the district administration came down heavily on Ashram and issued notice for recovery of penalty rent from the Ashram for having illegally used the land for 14 years between 1996 and 2010.
“The dues on this account amounts to Rs17.03 crore for the recovery of which the collector has issue one month’s notice on the Ashram. The Government has already constructed a wall on the river bank to prevent flooding while the Ashram has removed its goshala (stable for cows) and an Ayurveda dispensary from the encroached land,” said an official involved in the case.