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| As Raman Bhalla interferes state loses huge amount in lieu of granting rights for commercial properties | | Property worth crores sold for peanuts in heart of Srinagar | | Jehangir Rashid
SRINAGAR, Jan 7: Raman Bhalla, incumbent Minister for Housing, Horticulture and Culture in the Omar Abdullah led coalition Government had set a precedence which if followed by other Ministers and bureaucrats would spell doom for the state and incur huge loss to the state ex-chequer more so when Jammu and Kashmir is grappling to tide over economic crisis.
On February 24, 2010, Bhalla being the Revenue Minister set aside the rate fixed by a Price Fixation Committee constituted for the price of fixing rate for a prime property located in the heart of Srinagar city. The Price Fixation Committee consisting of then Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir, Mehboob Iqbal took up various cases which were pending since there was no consensus on the rates to be charged for properties located across the Srinagar city.
The Price Fixation Committee while deliberating upon the case of Bakshi Saleem son of Bakshi Bashir Ahmad resident of Sonwar decided that Saleem would have to pay Rs. 1, 91, 91,177 (rupees one crore ninety one lakhs ninety one thousand and one hundred seventy seven) for the property located where the Fairdeal shopping complex is present these days.
The property consisted of three kanals, three marlas and 264 square feet and the same was valued by the price fixation committee as Rs. 1,00,00,000 (rupees one crore) per kanal. The applicant (Bakshi Saleem) was asked to pay the adopted rate of 60 percent of the total valuation of the whole property. The property had been leased out to Saleem's father Bakshi Bashir with the lease expiring on January 4, 2002.
Bakshi Saleem moved an appeal against the Price Fixation Committee before Bhalla who was then the Revenue Minister of the state. Throwing norms to the wind the then Revenue Minister comes to rescue of Saleem and orders that the decision of the Price Fixation Committee dated 11-07-2007 so far as it pertains to lessee Bakshi Salim is hereby set aside.
"Accordingly, the lessee Bakshi Salim be treated as authorized occupant as per 3rd proviso rule 13 of SRO 64 for land measuring 3K-3M and 264 sq feet under Khasra Nos: 148, 149, 150 and 151 of Estate Kothi Bagh of Tehsil Srinagar (N) of District Srinagar and he be charged only 30 percent of the market value as already fixed by the Price Fixation Committee in its meeting dated 11-07-2007. Accordingly, Deputy Commissioner Srinagar will issue fresh demand notice to the lessee," reads the order Rev/NDK/49/2009 issued by Raman Bhalla.
Following the interference from Revenue Minister then Deputy Commissioner, Srinagar under order number 3/RD/Nazool dated 22-04-2010 gave further concession to Bakshi Saleem and the rates were revised much to the joy of the applicant. The Deputy Commissioner, Srinagar revised the rates and the applicant was asked to pay Rs. 95, 95,588 for the property located on the ever busy Residency Road in the summer capital of the state.
Not only this, Deputy Commissioner while playing with the credibility of Price Fixation Committee gave further sops to the applicant if the amount was paid in reasonably quick time. He was given concession of 25 percent, 15 percent, 5 percent and 2 percent if the re-valued amount was paid within three months, six months, nine months and one year respectively. Interestingly, Bakshi Saleem never paid the amount but sold the property to the quartet of Khan Brothers who have risen from rags to riches during the 23 years of militancy period in Kashmir and that too at a meagre amount of five lakh rupees. |
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