Indore, Sep 17 (PTI) The Congress on Thursday deposited an additional Rs 4.03 lakh with Indore Development Authority (IDA) for the temporary lease of land for the party’s “Chhatron Ki Goonj” event scheduled for September 19 which will be addressed by Rahul Gandhi.
After the Congress deposited Rs 10.08 lakh for the temporary lease, the Indore Development Authority (IDA) had asked the party to pay Rs 4.03 lakh more, officials said.
The IDA, which comes under the state government, in a letter to City Congress Committee president Chintu Chouksey, said 12,000 square meters of land had been allotted on a temporary lease for the “Chhatron Ki Goonj” event from September 17 to 19, but a site inspection revealed that 4,800 square meters of land had been used by the party since September 14.
For this, the IDA had asked the party to deposit an additional Rs 4.03 lakh as three-day lease fee, and the amount has been deposited, taking the total to Rs 14.11 lakh, a Congress leader said.
The IDA’s demand came after BJP state spokesperson Rakesh Singh Yadav complained about the space being used beyond the stipulated period, violating the terms of the permit.
“This matter is not about opposing any political event, but about the collection of prescribed revenue for the use of government land,” Yadav said in a statement.
However, Chintu Chouksey objected to the IDA’s demand, adding it was due to pressure from BJP leaders. He alleged the administration was acting as a puppet of the ruling party leaders.
The Congress had initially sought permission to hold Gandhi’s event at the city’s Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium on September 12, but Mayor Pushyamitra Bhargava stated that under an old order of the Madhya Pradesh High Court, the stadium could only be used for sports events or state-level government events.
The Congress subsequently extended the event date to September 19 and applied for land located opposite the Regional Park.
“Chhatron Ki Goonj” is a student-dialogue campaign launched by former Congress president Rahul Gandhi to corner the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party on issues such as question paper leaks, expensive education, irregularities in government recruitment, and unemployment.
Under Gandhi’s leadership, four editions of the “Chhatron Ki Goonj” programme have been organised so far in Kota, Dehradun, Prayagraj, and Pune. PTI HWP MAS BNM
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