The Times of India            04.02.2014

Debt-ridden Jaipur Development Authority auctions land, nets a paltry Rs 13 crore

JAIPUR: The cash strapped Jaipur Development Authority (JDA) managed to get a slight relief after it auctioned a plot at Manoharpura for Rs 13.41 crore on Monday. This may be a drop in the ocean for the troubled JDA, but it is certainly is a silver lining.

According to JDA officials, the plot (3,510 sq mt) was sold to at Rs 3820 per sq mt.

In a desperate attempt to earn more, the (JDA) will soon also be auctioning more land. Director (finance), Rakesh Sharma, said "We have drawn an action plan to earn more and are identifying prime slots. Other than this, we will also take on erring plot owners who have not yet deposited their lease money."

Sources in the department said, due to lackadaisical approach of JDA officials, things have come to this stage. "It was decided to generate Rs 150 crore from land that it auctioned but purchasers moved courts with certain grievances. Directions to identify the properties, from which revenue can be earned was presented, however, these moves failed to evoke results, except for a few deals."

It may be mentioned that the JDA, Jaipur Municipal Corporation (JMC) and Rajasthan Housing Board (RHB) are struggling to pay debt of nearly Rs 1,400 crore with little finances in their coffers. JDA took a loan to pay salaries of its employees last month. It has to pay a debt of Rs 400 crore while it has only Rs 14 crore in coffers.

Shikhar Agarwal to take over as new JDC today

IAS officer Shikhar Agarwal will be taking over as the new JDC. This was decided on Monday. He will assume office on Tuesday. Agarwal was on deputation in New Delhi and held the post of director general (employment and training), Ministry of Labour and Employment. Agarawal is a 1993 batch officer. Till Monday, the Urban Development and Housing principal secretary was holding additional charge of JDC. Before leaving for Delhi on deputation in 2009, he served as member, board of revenue, Ajmer. He was also the collector and district magistrate of Jalore and Hanumangarh. While the Jaipur Development Authority is reeling under financial crisis, it would be a challenge for Agarwal to give pace to the new projects.