NEW DELHI: Three visitor nominees, who are part of Jamia Millia Islamia's executive council (EC), have raised objections over the university giving an individual a no-objection certificate to sell her land to a private entity although the institution had the right to pre-emption.
The three members also said that the EC took the decision to not buy the land when the council did not have a quorum. The decision should have been signed by six EC members but was signed by five.
The President of India is the visitor to the university.
The dissent note by the visitor nominees - professor Sanjay Srivastava, SNL Das and Dr MD Raihan - asked why Jamia had not bought the land when earlier the university had bought another part of the same person's land. They said the university should have sought legal opinion and tried to buy the plot and use it for the expansion of the university infrastructure.
"Jamia has acquired one portion of the land inherited by the individual, and for the portion of the land which is the subject matter of the item under discussion, admittedly Jamia has the right of pre-emption. Therefore, the legal right of Jamia about pre-emption and the specific modalities thereto have to be examined by a legal expert before any decision as to giving a no-objection certificate is taken. It is not to be lost sight of that acquisition of prime land for further developing the infrastructure of Jamia to increase the quality of education concerned is of grave importance to the university and decisions regarding such matters should not be rushed into," the note said.
The members pointed out that in the past, the first portion measuring 400 square yards had been acquired by the university in 2002 for Rs.40 lakh. The second portion, measuring 855.50 square yards, is the one for which the owner had sought a no-objection certificate. For this land, the owner had quoted Rs.17 crore as the price in her letter dated July 13.
"No study or report as to the economic viability of the land qua which no objection certificate is sought to be issued has been undertaken," the note said. It added that "merely on some oral submissions of select officials, it appears to have been taken as fact that the land need not be acquired by Jamia".
The Jamia administration, in response, said: "In the EC, the agenda item was discussed and a decision was taken on the matter. All deliberations are recorded in the minutes of the meeting. Any follow-up allegations are frivolous and done with ulterior motives because of vested interests of certain persons, which are hereby denied."
The minutes of the meeting stated that it would not be in the interest of the university to buy that plot as another one purchased by the university from the same person was lying unused.
"It would not be desirable to purchase another piece of land surrounded by habitation. The university also has financial responsibility... and also huge funds would be required for upcoming development projects of a full-scale medical college and hospital," the university finance and estate officer, appointed by the ministry of education.
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