Residents visiting the Rajnigandha market wondered what was being discreetly built in one of the gardens of the market. Market shopkeepers told them that RWA secretary Rajesh Khanna was getting something done. None of them made any effort to go deeper into the matter and unravel the plan. Past RWA Vice-President Minakshi Goil was the first to raise the alarm by posting the following message on 21st June:
Do the residents have a right to know what is being built here on public land?Big tree and other green cover removed!! And here we are discussing on the group about planting more trees!!
Then the same Whatsapp group received many relevant posts:
Minakshi, I have learnt that there will be some statue put there. I was pretty surprised myself. I enquired from the workers and they gave me the information; I don’t know how true this is.
Sudipta posted: There’s no mention of this in any of the RWA Minutes of Monthly EC Meetings… can’t a suitable Enquiry Petition be filed with NA or a PIL?
Minakshi Goil posted: I am told by one of the shop owners that Mr Khanna has said that there is a meditation centre coming up there!! And will be air conditioned. Honestly, I find this difficult to digest. There is more to it than meets the eye!! First the full-grown trees are removed and all the surrounding shrubs and hedges, then a marble stand erected right in the middle of NA land!!!! And no one knows what is going to come up there!!!! As the residents’ rights, we seek an immediate clarification from RWA!
Sonia Sareen: Residents should be made aware of any major decisions being made by RWA!
Sanjeev Sareen: Dear Resident’s it’s quite shocking that our own RWA is making/ allowing an illegal unauthorized structure / temple to be constructed in Rajnigandha market open to sky green space without any prior approval of the General body, or by the RWA committee (minutes do not reflect any discussion or decision) and without any written permission from NOIDA to do the same.
In case NOIDA has granted permission for an unauthorised structure/ statue/temple and DFO NOIDA has allowed trees to be cut for doing the same, let the written permission be shared with Residents so that our objections on legality issues are settled.
I, as past office bearer and an old resident, on behalf of my 15A residents would like to place on record our strong objections to this unauthorized construction of temple / installation of statues and RWA self-authorised vendor shops on the NOIDA land by RWA.
The monthly subscription paid by 15A residents is not meant for making illegal structures, unauthorised sheds for fruit sellers, florists or for making carts for dhobis or for construction of temple/ installation of statue.
RWA as a body cannot be a party facilitating illegal construction on NOIDA land without any decision of the General Body and without prior written permission from Noida.
Let the RWA President and Secretary share on our Whatsapp forums the minutes of the discussion in RWA General Body Meeting and permission given by NOIDA for covering the open space to make a temple / installation of a statue in the market area where each shop and its area has been demarcated by Noida.
Let them also produce a letter from DFO NOIDA permitting them to cut the old neem trees in the market for the said purpose. I am sure there will be no such permissions on record.
We strongly protest these illegal activities by our RWA and if the encroachment is not removed immediately it may lead to tweets to the CM and PM’s office and may even lead to an embarrassingly legal action against the RWA body and may also hold the RWA accountable for misuse of public funds.
A temple can surely be made with the consent of Residents by asking voluntary contributions not by using RWA funds and taking due permission from NOIDA at a place acceptable to residents certainly not in a market place where we have a liquor Bar in the adjoining Lawn Bistro and a Club opposite as both will lose their liquor licence for being in the vicinity of a religious place.
After no clarification was received from the RWA office, Inderjit Sial sent a handwritten letter to the DM regarding the illegal construction activity and felling of trees. Minakshi took the lead and gathered the support of fellow residents and called the cops to file an FIR. The police took the poor contractor into custody.
Subsequently, unable to find a proper clarification and in a rush to calm down the fired-up situation, Prez DD Mishra penned the following:
Dear Residents
RWA 15A organises medical consultation facility (charitable) for the residents & employees of the Sector. Allopathic & Homeopathic doctors come to the RWA/SDF office to see the patients.
In view of the crowding, official work gets seriously disturbed.
Therefore, we have been requesting the Noida Authority to earmark a place for their Clinic.
In consultation with the Authority, the RWA has proposed to use the vacant area in the Rajnigandha market for this purpose.
A rumour has been circulated that RWA is possibly trying to use this place for religious purposes. I assure the residents that no such religious activity will take place there.
