The Government of Madhya Pradesh has allotted five acres of prime land near Misrod on the outskirts of Bhopal to senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Kailash Narayan Sarang’s son Vivek Sarang for opening of a dental college. The land was allotted to Vivek’s society within two months of receiving application for the purpose.

The land, the market value of which is nearly Rs 5 crore, is in possession of a Dalit family since 1930. The Government first declared it as the Nazool land and then handed it over to Vivek Sarang’s society - Institute of Applied Sciences of Fundamental Research Society - on 26 September 2006.

It did not cost the society a single penny as premium. However, an annual rent of Rs 2,42,760 has been fixed on the land.  Premlal, the owner, moved the district civil court to seek an injunction on the Government decision.

On the other hand, District Collector SK Mishra maintains that the land was allotted in keeping with the Government policy laid down in 1997 providing for allotment of free land for setting up of a medical or a dental college. He said the land was given to Premlal’s family in exchange of his services as kotwar of the village but now Misrod village has come under urban area and therefore, post of kotwar in the village stands abolished and land retrieved from him by the Nazool Department.

He said the application for the land allotment was processed fast so that Vivek could present a proposal for opening of dental college to the Medical Council of India in this academic session.“If we had delayed allotment of land, he would have been able to present the proposal in 2007-08,” he said.   Although the Dalit family is still in possession of the land, revenue inspector (RI) Suresh Singh furnished a certificate in the court stating that the land was demarcated and handed over to Vivek Sarang.

The certificate stated that the land was devoid of any trees or crops. The situation on the ground, however, is different. More than hundred trees and a standing crop of millet sown by the Dalit family could be seen from the road itself.

Now revenue officials are allegedly threatening Premlal and 12 other members of his family to immediately vacate the land, forcing the family to hire an armed guard for security.

When contacted, Vivek Sarang, however, claimed that the land had been allotted to him after completion of all the formalities. “The land had been retrieved from Premlal way back in 1998 but he continued to live there,” he said. Vivek said, “Whenever I try to do something, some controversy crops up because I happen to be a politician’s son”.

(Source: The Hindustan Times)