Jal Mahal Scam High court says Jal Mahal land lease agreement illegal Government abused power

Jal Mahal Scam High court says Jal Mahal land lease agreement illegal
Government abused power

India
Rajasthan

Jal Mahal (meaning "Water Palace") is a palace located in the middle of the Man Sagar Lake in Jaipur city, the capital of the state of Rajasthan, India.

The palace and the lake around it were renovated and enlarged in the 18th century by Maharaja Jai Singh II of Amber.



The palace, built in red sandstone, is a five storied building out of which four floors remain under water when the lake is full and the top floor is exposed.
The rectangular Chhatri on the roof is of the Bengal type.
The Chhatris on the four corners are octagonal.

In year 2004 -2005
The Jal Mahal land lease agreement was executed between the state government and a private company owned by a city businessman.
The company, which is owned by businessman Navratan Kothari.
The company name is the Jal Mahal Resorts Pvt Ltd.

Lease agreement favored the company.

After that agreement 3 public interest litigations were filed in the court and because of that PILs the agreement got cancelled.

Few terms and conditions of lease agreement between state government and private company Jal Mahal Resorts Pvt Ltd.

The government had given away land of the ancient Man Sagar Lake to the
Private company for 99 years in return for annual lease money of merely Rs 2.5 Crore.
The land's current market value is estimated to be anywhere between Rs 2,500 Crore and Rs 3,500 Crore.

The Jal Mahal, standing inside the lake, was also handed over to
The company on an annual license fee of Re 1.
just Rs. 1 Annual Fee fee for 12 months.

50 Indian Rupees = 1 American dollar

The company was allowed to charge entry fee from the visitors coming to see the historical monument for the next 99 years

After reading above conditions of lease agreement any one will say something is fishy and agreement is illegal and benefits to the company.

On Thursday Rajasthan High Court said that the lease agreement is illegal
The high court, while cancelling the lease and license agreements, has directed the private company, the Jal Mahal Resorts Pvt Ltd, to
return the entire land to the Rajasthan Tourism Development Corporation (RTDC)

The division bench comprising Chief Justice Arun Mishra and Justice Mahesh Bhagwati noted the state government passed on the land almost free of cost since the facilities it was providing to the company like maintaining the lake's water level through a sewerage treatment plant and a
tertiary treatment plant costs the exchequer more than the annual lease money being charged.

Further bench said that They (government authorities) have committed breach of public trust; they have reached a decision which no reasonable person would have reached; they have abused the powers,"

Do you think government should be given punishment for the power of abuse?

Do you think the story is same like 2G scam and A Raja?

In this case do you think CBI inquiry should be ordered to find about if there is any corruption angle to the wrong lease deed?

photo of the JalMahal

Reality views by sm –

Friday, May 18, 2012

Tags – Jal Mahal Scam