Daily Pioneer: Lucknow: Saturday, June 02, 2018.
An
application under Right to Information (RTI) Act exposed how Sports Directorate
as well as officials of Lucknow Development Authority (LDA) preferred to ignore
commercial activities going in BBD Badminton Academy in Gomatinagar in open
violation of the lease agreement.
The land was
given on 90-year lease to BBD Badminton Academy for peanuts with a rider that
it would be used only for promotion of sports and no commercial activity would
be allowed pn the campus.
But in
flagrant violation of norms, the BBD Academy is openly using the land mostly
for personal gains by lending the campus for marriages and other functions.
Giving
details about how Sports Directorate and LDA were facilitating unlawful activities
of BBD Badminton Academy, State Information Commissioner (SIC) Hafiz Usman said
on Friday that he summoned all records and asked the government to conduct a
high-level probe to find out the officials responsible for not taking action
against the Academy and inform the Commission about action taken.
The SIC
claimed that if it was necessary, then the Commission would also get a criminal
case registered and get the culprits either arrested or make them compensate
for the losses to the government.
Interestingly,
BJP MLA in Faizabad, Ram Chander Yadav, had apprised Chief Minister Yogi
Adityanath on this score in September last year, He also wrote to Sport
Director, RP Singh, about ongoing irregularities on the Academy campus but no
action was taken as the trustee of the Academy enjoyed political and
bureaiucratic patronage.
Usman claimed
that a social activist filed an application under RTI, seeking whether the
directorate knew about ongoing commercial activities in BBD Badminton Academy,
and if yes, what action was taken so far. But, Deputy Director (Sports) AK
Singh refused to give any details.
When the
complainant filed an appeal and the SIC asked for details, Sports Directorate
officials passed on the responsibility to LDA claiming that the latter had
records as they were to act against unlawful activities.
The SIC then
summoned LDA officials but they too ignored initially. After being warned of
action, the LDA informed that a notice was sent to the Academy and further
action was on. Usman said that as per the lease agreement done in 2000, more
than Rs 1.02 crore was issued by the government to Sports Directorate to make
payment to LDA for the 10 acre land in Vipin Khand at Gomti Nagar.
Para four of
the agreement showed that the land would be used for promotion of sports by the
Academy and no commercial activity will be allowed.
Despite the
agreement, the Academy in the knowledged of officers had been utilizing the
land for commercial activities and was even renting it out for marriage and
other private functions.
After
learning of the irregularities and finding violation of lease agreement, the
SIC warned the LDA after which they initiated action in a fortnight and
apprised him.
Usman has now
asked the state government to take action against errant officials of the
Academy, Sports Directorate and LDA.
The BBD
Badminton Academy was in the news two years back when former general secretary
of Badminton Association of India (BAI) Dr Vijay Sinha and other officials were
allegedly involved in sexual harassment, embezzlement of funds, fraud, nepotism
etc. A FIR was also registered at Hazratganj police station in that matter.
.JPG)
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