PANCHKULA: Backed by a powerful lobby of IAS and IPS officers and Certain politicians of Haryna a mahant has forcibly taken over about four acres of prime land of the local Government College in Sector 1 here it is learnt.

The college land which has become a disputed one over the years NOW houses a full-fledged temple complex with a number of structures including the house of the mahant and his disciples. The complex has a wall on all sides to demarcate its boundary.

The disputed land still remains earmarked as part of the college. The Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA) has never bothered to initiate action against mahant.

Records show that the college’s was allotted 14.28 acres in Sector in 1985. It was to house the main college building hostel playgrounds and residential quarters for the teaching staff. At the time it was taken possession of the site had only a small four-square-feet structure on it. The construction of the college building started with officials thinking that the so-called temple structure would be removed.

However the temple also mysteriously started expanding once the construction of the college building commenced certain persons who were associated with the construction of the building alleged that theft of bricks and other construction material became commonplace and all complaints about this fell on deaf ears. It was not until then that the Haryana Public Works Department constructing the building found that the temple complex had come up on the land on which they were supposed to build a portion of the building.

Informed sources point out that there was so much pressure at that time against demolishing the illegal structures that the building plan of the college had to be altered more than once to accommodate the mahant and his family. The result was that no space was left for the college to construct its hostel and residential accommodation for the teaching staff. Today the college does not even have a playground of college standards.

The encroachment on the college land was objected to by the state education department a number of times It asked HUDA to take action. Records show that the director of higher education had brought the issue to the notice of HUDA but to no avail.

In the meantime the PWD in its anxiety to complete the building constructed a high wall on all sides of the college complex even leaving out the disputed land housing the temple. Thus the site was formally handed over to the mahant on a platter

Sources point out that a previous HUDA administrator had once tied to remove the structure from the present site during an anti-encroachment drive after getting permission from the higher ups. The officer was given a strong police force under a DSP to demolish the structure.

However sources allege the police backed out at the last moment on seeing the resistance put up by the mahant and over 200 of his armed disciples. The officer had to retreat immediately Following the incident the officer was asked to proceed on leave and was subsequently transferred under pressure.

No one after this incident dared to take action against the mahant and his encroachment.

Officials admit that if any action is to be taken to get the land vacated now the Chief Ministers approval will be needed and that it will have to be backed by a strong police force.

Besides the mahant and some of his friendly followers are said to be contemplating construction of a multi-storied air-conditioned shopping complex on a portion of the encroached land.

It is alleged that plans for this shopping complex are under way and the mahant is alleged to have promised a shop each to all his disciple-officials who helped him in taking over the land.

Article extracted from this publication >> June 5, 1992