Azam Khan’s trust gets government property at Rs 100 per year rent

RAMPUR: The state government has allotted the building that houses the Jauhar Research Institute to a trust of Samajwadi Party leader and state urban development minister Mohammad Azam Khan on a lease of Rs 100 per annum, for 33 years. A circular in the matter had been issued in November last year but at that time the lease amount had not been fixed. UP governor Ram Naik has now sought an explanation in the matter from the state government.

Earlier, social activist Nutan Thakur had filed a complaint with the Lokayukta, Lucknow, against the state government over the allocation of the building to the minister's trust.

SP Singh, secretary of the state minorities' department and Wakf, said, "The building was given on lease to the Maulana Mohammad Ali Juahar Trust for 33 years, on Rs 100 per year." He said the state would retain ownership of the property.

Sources said vacancies that had earlier been announced for the Jauhar Research Institute have since been shifted to other departments of the state government.

Sources said RP Singh, district officer of minorities' welfare and Wakf, signed the memorandum of understanding in the matter with state cabinet minister Azam Khan's trust.

During the Kisan Mela in Lucknow on Saturday, some reporters asked governor Ram Naik about the allotment of the building to Azam Khan's trust. He had said that the state auditor general had conducted investigations before the allotment. The governor added that it was necessary for the auditor general to put reports before the Vidhan Sabha about the allotment of government properties. He had said that he would also ask the state government under what circumstances the allotment was made.

On Sunday, during the annual function of the Rampur Public School that his trust now runs in the premises of the Jauhar Research Institute, Azam Khan had said that he would write to chief minister Akhilesh Yadav, seeking the allotment of abandoned buildings of the state government to his trust, so he could open branches of the school to aid the poor. The school earlier ran from offices that belonged to the Samajwadi Party.

Social activist Nutan Thakur said, "The Jauhar Research Institute was constructed on the property of what was earlier part the jail, in 2005-06, during the tenure of Mulayam Singh Yadav as chief minister. The state government should have issued proper bids for it openly, so other stakeholders could also have participated in the process."

The building is located on prime property in Rampur, on 200 bighas of land.