Rly-govt land row may derail Zydus’ hospital project
Railway officials have asked the company to stop construction work at the project site in Thaltej, claiming the land belongs to the railways
Yogesh Avasthi
Posted On Tuesday, January 25, 2011 (http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/index.aspx?Page=article§name=News%20-%20City§id=3&contentid=201101252011012503023457156c7d9e7)
A notice board erected by the railways at the hospital site states that no unauthorised entry or construction work will be tolerated on the plot
Railway authorities have asked Zydus Cadila to freeze all construction work at the site of a 22-storey hospital proposed by it near Sola bridge in Thaltej. The demand, which could throw the project off the track, is a consequence of a land dispute between the railways and the state government.
Rail officials claim the plot where the pharmaceutical company intends to build the multi-speciality hospital is part of a 16.13-hectare land owned by the railways. They allege the state government “illegally allotted” sections of this land to private entities, including Zydus, for commercial and residential development.
“We have sent a notice to the company, asking it to stop all construction work at the site. If they do not comply, we will take legal course,” a railway official, who didn’t want to be identified, said.
ZYDUS DENIES RECEIVING ANY STOP ORDER FROM RAILWAYS
Contrary to his claim, Zydus says it has not received any notice. “The government has given us this plot, and we have all related documents,” V N Shah, a medical advisor of Zydus Hospitals & Healthcare Research Ltd, told Mirror.
The 16.13-hectare land in question was acquired by the railways from the government in 1993. Initially, a goods yard was proposed on the land. However, this plan was scrapped. In 2002, railway authorities wrote to the government about ‘relinquishment’ of the plot. They said that they were ready to return it at market price.
“The Gujarat government didn’t respond to the offer. Thereafter, the railways sent numerous letters and reminders, including some to the state chief secretary, but to no avail,” a railway official said. The issue turned into a dispute after AUDA announced a town planning (TP) scheme in the area where the railways owns the said land.
“The state government and AUDA gave permission to private groups to develop residential and commercial schemes on sections of the land in Thaltej. This is violation of land norms; city or state administration cannot implement TP scheme approval for construction work on a plot owned by the Centre,” he said.
According to him, AUDA has allotted 7,837.35 sq mt out of 16.13 hectares for housing projects. “AUDA has also illegally constructed a water tank on our land,” he claimed. Another official said that the civic body had offered the railways another plot in exchange of the said space.
“We rejected the offer for two reasons. First, the alternative space that was offered to us was smaller than the one we currently own. Second, we bought land in Thaltej to build a goods yard. As we no longer intend to construct it, we don’t need alternative land,” he said.
An AUDA official rejected railways’ claim that it didn’t have the authority to implement a TP scheme on the disputed plot. “Town planning schemes can be announced even on land owned by the Centre. Construction work that is going on in Thaltej is legal,” he said.
Yogesh Avasthi
Posted On Tuesday, January 25, 2011 (http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/index.aspx?Page=article§name=News%20-%20City§id=3&contentid=201101252011012503023457156c7d9e7)
A notice board erected by the railways at the hospital site states that no unauthorised entry or construction work will be tolerated on the plot
Railway authorities have asked Zydus Cadila to freeze all construction work at the site of a 22-storey hospital proposed by it near Sola bridge in Thaltej. The demand, which could throw the project off the track, is a consequence of a land dispute between the railways and the state government.
Rail officials claim the plot where the pharmaceutical company intends to build the multi-speciality hospital is part of a 16.13-hectare land owned by the railways. They allege the state government “illegally allotted” sections of this land to private entities, including Zydus, for commercial and residential development.
“We have sent a notice to the company, asking it to stop all construction work at the site. If they do not comply, we will take legal course,” a railway official, who didn’t want to be identified, said.
ZYDUS DENIES RECEIVING ANY STOP ORDER FROM RAILWAYS
Contrary to his claim, Zydus says it has not received any notice. “The government has given us this plot, and we have all related documents,” V N Shah, a medical advisor of Zydus Hospitals & Healthcare Research Ltd, told Mirror.
The 16.13-hectare land in question was acquired by the railways from the government in 1993. Initially, a goods yard was proposed on the land. However, this plan was scrapped. In 2002, railway authorities wrote to the government about ‘relinquishment’ of the plot. They said that they were ready to return it at market price.
“The Gujarat government didn’t respond to the offer. Thereafter, the railways sent numerous letters and reminders, including some to the state chief secretary, but to no avail,” a railway official said. The issue turned into a dispute after AUDA announced a town planning (TP) scheme in the area where the railways owns the said land.
“The state government and AUDA gave permission to private groups to develop residential and commercial schemes on sections of the land in Thaltej. This is violation of land norms; city or state administration cannot implement TP scheme approval for construction work on a plot owned by the Centre,” he said.
According to him, AUDA has allotted 7,837.35 sq mt out of 16.13 hectares for housing projects. “AUDA has also illegally constructed a water tank on our land,” he claimed. Another official said that the civic body had offered the railways another plot in exchange of the said space.
“We rejected the offer for two reasons. First, the alternative space that was offered to us was smaller than the one we currently own. Second, we bought land in Thaltej to build a goods yard. As we no longer intend to construct it, we don’t need alternative land,” he said.
An AUDA official rejected railways’ claim that it didn’t have the authority to implement a TP scheme on the disputed plot. “Town planning schemes can be announced even on land owned by the Centre. Construction work that is going on in Thaltej is legal,” he said.
