Lucknow, June 31: In yet another setback to senior Samajwadi Party (SP) leader and former cabinet minister Mohammad Azam Khan the Uttar Pradesh government on Tuesday decided to take back the building and land of Murtaza Higher Secondary School given on lease by the Secondary Education Department to Maulana Mohammad Jauhar Trust in Rampur.
The decision was taken during the meeting of the state cabinet held at Lok Bhawan, which was chaired by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.
The government took action against the Jauhar Trust and reclaim the land for violating the conditions of the lease agreement.
It may be noted that the land had been leased out to the trust for 30 years.
Giving details of the proposal passed by the cabinet, Finance Minister Suresh Khanna said that the land was given on lease to Maulana Mohammad Ali Jauhar Trust in Rampur for 30 years at the rate of only Rs 100 per year.
The government has now decided to reclaim the land from the trust, he said.
He said in connection with the violation of the terms of the lease deed related to the land given to Jauhar Trust, District Magistrate Rampur formed a four-member inquiry committee.
After reviewing the report sent by this committee following an investigation, the government decided to reclaim the land and building. The ownership of this 41,181 square foot land will be transferred back to the Secondary Education Department by the state government, he said.
The Minister said the office of the District School Inspector and Basic Education Officer in Rampur, situated within Murtaza Higher Secondary School, was leased to the Maulana Mohammad Ali Jauhar Trust for a duration of 30 years during the SP regime in 2007 In 2007.
Rather than following the prescribed procedure of leasing it at an annual premium rate of Rs 100, as stipulated by the Government Grant Act, the then government decided to lease it out to the Maulana Mohammad Ali Jauhar Trust Rampur for the same 30-year period, but at an annual rent of Rs 100. It may be noted that Azam, his wife and former MP Tanzeen Fatima and their son and former MLA Abdullah Azam were sentenced to seven years imprisonment in a fake birth certificate case by a special court in Rampur on October 18.
Prosecution said in 2019 Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and sitting MLA Akash Saxena filed a case of possessing two birth certificates against Abdullah Azam in which Azam Khan and his wife Tazeen Fatima were made the co-accused.Former District Government Counsel (DGC) Arun Prakash said two birth certificates were issued in the name of Abdullah.
While one was issued by Lucknow Municipal Corporation, another one was issued from Rampur.
There was a difference of 3 years in both the certificates on the basis of which Abdullah contested the assembly election, he said.
Azam is currently lodged in Sitapur jail after being convicted by the court in the fake birth certificate case.
