Press Club of India Moves HC Against Govt. Refusal To Handover Allotted Land Despite Payment 4 Yrs Ago

The Press Club of India has charged the Central Government of not releasing a plot for a new building despite payments made for the same 4 years ago. Now the PCI has petitioned the Delhi High Court to direct the government for releasing the allocated land for its new building. We reprint here the PCI Press Release:

Dear Members,

 Press Club of India was allotted a piece of land on Rajendra Prasad Road (Bungalow number 6&8, Plot C) in 2002 and the Club was supposed to pay ₹1,43, 04,258/- (₹1.43 crores) within two years of allotment.

The successive Managing Committees from 2002 to 2010 did not pay any attention towards making the payment and getting the possession of the land. It was only when the then Managing Committee, led by Pushpender Kulshreshta, lost the election and the new Managing Committee took over in 2011 that the new Managing Committee accorded urgent attention to the financial condition of the Club. It took nearly three years to put back the Club on its feet financially.

The deficit of the Club at that time was to the tune of ₹1.5 crore and it took time and effort to streamline and regulate the financial affairs of the Club.

On October 8, 2014, the L&DO raised a demand notice of ₹1,31,62441/- (₹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 the land to the Club, L&DO, when again approached personally by the President and the Secretary-General, slapped a demand notice of ₹2.46 crore on November 10, 2017 before handing over possession of the allotted land.

It was stated 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.

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. However, the Club paid the entire amount by the month of June 2018.