Azam Khans Rampur Public School Possession Transferred to Secondary Education Department

The possession of Rampur Public School – run by a trust of Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan – an office of the SP leader, and another where party activities were carried out was handed over to the Secondary Education Department on Friday as per a state cabinet decision, a official said here.

Buildings Sealed

Locks were put on the two buildings in the presence of heavy police force, including the Additional District Magistrate ADM Lalta Prasad Shakya and Additional Superintendent of Police ASP Sansar Singh. The possession of both the properties was handed over to the District Inspector of Schools DIOS and sealed, the senior official said.

Earlier Notices

On November 2, the DIOS had issued a notice to vacate the building occupied by Samajwadi Party SP leader Azam Khans Maulana Muhammad Ali Jauhar Trust in Rampur. Earlier on October 31, the Uttar Pradesh cabinet had approved a proposal to take back the ownership of over 41,000 square feet of land given on lease to the Muhammad Ali Jauhar Trust and ordered it to be transferred to the Secondary Education Department of the state government.

Reason for Withdrawal

The ownership of the land has been withdrawn after a panel report on alleged violations of the lease deed, according to a government statement. The old Murtaza School building located near Rampur Fort, which operated earlier as the office of DIOS, was allotted to Muhammad Ali Jauhar Trust at Rs 100 per year when Khan was a minister in the SP government. Rampur Public School was being run by the trust in the building. Adjacent to it was Khan’s office, and the activities of Rampur unit of SP were also conducted from here.

SP Protest

The administration took possession of both these buildings and handed them over to the DIOS, the official said. SPs Rampur city unit president Asim Raja lodged a protest against the move, saying his office is separate from the school’s land. The local administration said that the SP office was part of the property. ADM Administration Shakya said that the 30-year lease earlier given has been cancelled, and the education department has taken the property under its possession.

Illegal Occupation

Shakya said that according to the tehsil administration and municipality administration both the SP office and the school falls inside the 41,181 square feet area of the property. We have the measurements of the joint team in which all this is mentioned clearly, he said. The ASP said that locks have been put on both the properties. He said that while there was no protest on the school land, SP workers and the education department both claimed that it belonged to them.

SP leader Asim Raja

SP leader Asim Raja, however, said that Rampur Public School building was vacated after the governments order and there was no protest. But the SP office was separate not part of the property and is a rented building, Raja said, adding that it was also forcibly occupied. No one is ready to listen to us. This is oppression. What can we do? he said.

The Rampur Public School and an office of Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan were handed over to the Secondary Education Department on Friday. The possession of both the properties was handed over to the District Inspector of Schools DIOS and sealed. The action was taken as per a state cabinet decision.