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| Palladium ruins calling: 25 yrs on, authorities remain indecisive | | | Hyderi Ali
Early Times Report
Srinagar, Mar 6: Over 25 years on, the historic Palladium cinema site here in the heart of the summer capital remains in ruins as the successive regimes have failed to end the dispute between the building owners and the government.
The cinema site has been sealed with a paramilitary bunker since 1990s when the building on Nazool land was gutted in a devastative fire at the peak of militancy. By then, the Gauris, a prominent family who owned the cinema hall, had migrated to safer havens. The cinema, actually owned by noted businessman of his time, Bhai Anant Singh was subsequently inherited by his descendants.
But as militancy continued for years, the Gauri family couldn't return to Kashmir to take over the ruins of the gutted building, where they could presumably construct a new building and start some business. In the meantime, the land lease expired and the government handed over the site to the Srinagar Development Authority (SDA).
Helpless, the Gauri family moved Court seeking legal respite even as they pleaded inability to have renewed the lease in time. Since then there has been a deadlock.
Though from time and again the Gauri family and the SDA decided to go for amicable solution to the dispute by opting for a joint venture, some ministers in successive regimes allegedly sabotaged such moves for vested interests.
Official records reveal the Palladium cinema issue remained in the agenda of various SDA annual board meetings, chaired by the Minister for Housing and Urban Development (H&UDD). The annual meetings had been suggesting that an out of court settlement for joint venture with Manmohan Singh Guari grandson of Bhai Anant Singh Gauri.
"During the pendency of the writ petition, one of the ex-lessee, Manmohan Singh (Gauri)Gori approached the Government with the request for renewal of the lease in their favor or in alternative they may be allowed for investment in joint venture with SDA on 50;50 basis," official documents reveal.
The matter was subsequently placed before the SDA Board in its 68th meeting held on 30th May 2005 wherein Board resolved: "The Construction of commercial complex in joint venture with Ex-Lessee was approved in principal. The design of the proposed complex shall provide for parking in basement."
The decision added: "The terms and conditions of Joint venture be further negotiated with the Ex-lessee and a comprehensive proposal on self-financing basis be put up to the Minister H&UD Department for consideration and thereafter an agreement shall be executed with the Ex-lessee for the development of the complex."
Sources said a minister in the then PDP led government was against any amicable solution with the Gauri family and wanted them out. "It was more of an ego problem for him. He even planted some of his Chamchas in the SDA to sabotage any such moves which would pave way for amicable solution," recapped an SDA official, asking not to be identified.
However, subsequently in 2009, during the then Omar Abdullah led government it was resolved that the two parties would go for the 50:50 partnership.
"The stand of SDA is very clear as decided in auction committee meeting of SDA held on 11/09/2009 and conveyed to (Gauri) Gori, who presented before the Vice Chairman, SDA, that the project may be taken up on 50:50 basis and it will be the responsibility of Gori to arrange the funds for construction of the commercial building and SDA will invest the land," reveals a copy of a SDA meeting held in 2009.
But given the "individual business interests" worth millions in the property, some of the National Conference and the Congress ministers started to sabotage the proposal for personal gains.
"It's a two kanal property at the prime location, where even an inch will cost millions, so some of the ministers and other politicians were eyeing to grab it," the SDA official said adding the deal was again sabotaged.
Sources said though the then H&UDD Minister Nawang Rigzin Jora was keen to see the site developed as the ruins have been giving an ugly look in the heart of the City, some of his colleagues prevented him from taking any decision.
For another five years, the there was no breakthrough even as the tenure of the National Conference led government ended.
In the previous PDP BJP regime, the Housing ministry led by the then Deputy Chief Minister Dr Nirmal Singh again slept on the issue for unknown reason.
As of now, the Governor rule has emerged as a ray of hope for the Gauri family which has suffered huge losses for all these years. With Governor Vohra, taking dynamic and people-friendly decisions within blinking of an eye, in the last two months, the family is understood to be looking ahead for his intervention into the matter.
Sources said Raj Bhawan aide and senior bureaucrat BB Vyas who presently heads the Housing department has been apprised about the issue through his office. "If Vyas Sahib picks up the issue with the Governor, there's a chance of another historic decision, which will help government, the Gauri family and the Lal Chowk, alike," said an SDA official.
Business players in Kashmir have sought governor's intervention. |
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