Aug 28 2016: The Times OF INDIA

One day after Gujarat high court sought an explanation from the state government over the illegal use of land by Delhi Public School at Bopal, the revenue authorities took possession of the plot back from the school.

However, the penalty payment issue has remained unsolved. While the district collectorate evaluated the penalty sum at Rs 2.65 crore for illegally using a 2,500-square metre plot near the school campus for nearly four years, the school management requested that the government reconsider the amount.

In an affidavit before the HC, the government said that the appellate authority has ordered Ahmedabad district collector to reconsider the penalty amount.

This began with a Bopal resident, Ashish Kanjariya, filing a PIL in the HC, complaining that government land admeasuring 2,554-square metres was vacant near DPS campus. The school management had started using it to park its buses.

Meanwhile, a 100sqm of this plot was allotted to an ex-serviceman, Vinod Kumar Desai, in 2007, but he has not got possession till date. As the issue reached the district collectorate in July 2012, the school management requested 15 days to vacate the plot on condition of payment of Rs 5,725 per day . The mamlatdar was asked to take possession of the land on the 16th day . The petitioner contended that the school management never vacated the land. In April, the state government demanded Rs 2.65 crore as penalty for using land illegally for four years. However, the authorities never insisted that the school vacate the plot.The authorities took action only after the HC issued notice .