JUDGEMENT
MISHRA,C.J. -
(1.) THE Judgement of the Court was delivered by :
The writ petitions being W.P No. 24542 (W) of 2010
and W.P 23739 (W) of 2012 have been filed by way of public interest litigation
praying for the relief to direct the respondent authorities to cancel the
agreement executed on 09.10.2007 between the Bidhannagar Municipality
and Institute of Education and Social Welfare. Prayer has also been made
to cancel the agreement dated 17.12.2009 between Bidhannagar
Municipality and Institute of Education and Social Welfare. Prayer has been
made to cancel the order of allotment of playground to Bidhannagar
Municipality. Further prayer has been made to direct the respondents to
demolish the ilIegal concrete construction and banquet hall, conference
hall, bridal hall and other illegal constructions having no nexus with the
development of sports activities. Prayer has been made to demolish the
concrete construction and tower in the Central Park.
(2.) ON the other hand, Institute of Education and Social Welfare has filed another writ petition being W.P No. 11819 (W) of 2011 wherein it has
been prayed that directions be issued to cancel, recall notice dated 15th
July, 2011 issued by the Chairperson, Bidhannagar Municipality calling upon
the Institute to remove all furniture, utensils and/or articles which were being
used for commercial activities and to vacate the premises in question, failing
which padlock shall be put thereon by the Municipality.
Pursuant to earlier direction of this Court, all the writ petitions were heard analogously.
(3.) IT is averred in W.P 24542 (W) of 2010 that there is a playground situated at Central Park, Sector ll, Salt Lake, Calcutta. On 14.03.1997
Executive Engineer, Design, Salt Lake, Reel. & Dev. Circle under Urban
Development Department handed over the delivery of the playground to
the Bidhannagar Municipality for exercising administrative control as well
as maintenance of the said ground. On 13.04.2007 the Chairman,
Bidhannagar Municipality informed the councilors that as per decision taken
on 21.02.2007 in Chairman in Council meeting that the sports complex
should be given for the purpose of running and maintenance to a private
organization on public private partnership basis in equal share through
tender. However, without any process of the tender the then Chairman of
the Bidhannagar Municipality, Dr. Biswajiban Majumder, entered into an
illegal memorandum of agreement on 09.10.2007 on behalf of Bidhannagar
Municipality and Institute of Education and Social Welfare through its trustee,
Arun Raolka. Later on 24.04.2009 Executive Engineer, Design, Salt Lake
Reel. 85 Dev. Circle informed the Executive Officer, Bidhannagar
Municipality that there is no mention of sports academy building or
multiutility Bidhannagar Municipality Sports Academy Complex in the
working map of Salt Lake City. It was further averred that on enquiry being
made it came to the notice of the petitioner that on 16.06.2009 through
Registrar, Forms and Societies that no such society in the name of Institute
of Education & Social Welfare exists. On 17.12.2009 Chairman
unauthorisedly entered into another agreement on behalf of Bidhannagar
Municipality with the Institute of Education & Social Welfare for the purpose
of handing over the possession of additional spaces at the ground floor
and the roof to the realtor group under the guise of Institute of Education
and Social Welfare. It is a further case that on 02.05.2010 an advertisement
appeared in the newsletter published on behalf of Saltee Group showing
that the group constructed sprawling lawn, spacious A.C banquet halls,
A.C conference halls, A.C hall on terrace, separate bridal rooms, automatic
lift etc. in the playground situated at Central Park. It is a further case setup
by the petitioner, that invitation card was issued on 21.08.2010 by which it
became clear that Institute of Education and Social Welfare was not, in
fact, involved in sports activities but the owners of the Saltee Infrastructure
Ltd.,. Sri Arun Raolka invited his guests to the Banquet hall, A.C Rooms
etc., at the aforesaid Sports complex. Subsequently, on 06.11.2010
Deepawali greetings cards were distributed by Saltee Infrastructure Ltd. &
Ors., showing that the banquet situated at Central Park Football Ground is
one of many business establishments of the Saltee Group, a realtor
company. Thus, it was contended that sports complex has been given to
the Realtor Company in unauthorised manner by the Chairman of the
Bidhannagar Municipality.;
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