CM Dhami decides not to take back land from SJA (updating with comments)

PrashantNews

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Wednesday instructed the Dehradun administration not to take back the government leased land given to the prestigious St Joseph’s Academy (SJA).

Chief Secretary Radha Raturi issued necessary instructions asking the top officials of the administration that the Chief Minister is against the move to take back the land from SJA for developing a public parking. Earlier, a team of the Dehradun Municipality and other departments went to the school premises to see how much land was lying vacant there.

Later, the administration decided to take back 20 bhigas of nazool land from SJA which was being used for sports stadium. The officials said a new public parking facility would be developed in the 22 bhigas of land. During the British period, the SJA was given 86 bhigas of land for setting up the school.

As the issue hotted up in the social media, the Chief Minister decided not to take back the land.

Raturi, who convened a high level meeting on the SJA issue, later said the missionary school must create a parking facility inside its campus for the vehicles of students, staff and parents.

However, Raturi asked the Housing department to renew the lease land issue concerning SJA as per rules of the government.

Meanwhile, on behalf of the Management, Staff, Students, Alumni, Parents and well wishers of SJA, its Principal Brother Joseph M Joseph thanked the Chief Minister for his swift action on the issue.

“The entire School Community is grateful for his personal intervention and his support for the future of students of Dehradun and the state of Uttarakhand. This concern of school children was seriously taken cognizance by our Hon’ble Chief Minister for securing the future of the students. Our Hon’ble Chief Minister has followed the vision of our Hon’ble Prime Minister who has placed great importance for Sports and games by promoting the Khelo India movement,” the Principal said.