Rampur Authority Orders 38 Buildings Demolished Inside Azam Khan's Jauhar University The Rampur Development Authority has ordered the demolition of 38 out of 40 buildings inside Azam Khan's Mohammad Ali Jauhar University, declaring them illegal constructions. Bulldozers are set to move into Mohammad Ali Jauhar University, run by senior Samajwadi Party leader and former cabinet minister Azam Khan in Rampur. The Rampur Development Authority has declared 38 of the 40 buildings on the campus illegal and ordered their demolition, after finding that only two of the structures had approved building plans. Action taken under the town planning law The demolition order was passed under Section-27(1) of the Uttar Pradesh Town Planning and Development Act, 1973. After a detailed hearing and a thorough examination of documents, the authority concluded that the 38 buildings on the campus fell into the category of illegal construction, making a demolition order necessary. How the probe began Rampur District Magistrate Ajay Kumar Dwivedi laid out the sequence of events. According to him, the district has been running a sustained crackdown on illegal construction. As part of that drive, an inquiry into the construction at Mohammad Ali Jauhar University was launched based on a report from the regional junior engineer. Once irregularities surfaced, a notice was issued to the university management, directing it to present its case. The management filed its written reply on 8 July, and a personal hearing followed on 15 July, attended by officials and advocates representing both the university and the Rampur Development Authority. The university's defence During the hearing, the university argued that the village of Singankheda, where the campus is located, was not part of the Rampur Development Authority's development area before 27 September-24. It contended that there was therefore no requirement to get building plans approved by the authority at the time. The management also argued that most of the construction was carried out long ago and could not be deemed illegal under rules that apply now. Authority rejects the argument, says rules already applied The Rampur Development Authority did not accept the university's arguments. The order stated that even though the village of Singankheda was later brought into the development area, approval of building plans from the relevant competent body was mandatory at the time the construction took place. An examination of records obtained from the Zila Panchayat Rampur made it clear that only the plans for the medical college building and one academic block had been approved. No valid approval was found on record for the remaining 38 buildings. Permission was sought for only two buildings According to DM Ajay Kumar Dwivedi, the authority's order also notes that the university management was itself aware that approval was required before construction, since it had formally obtained permission from the Zila Panchayat for two of the buildings. Despite that, the rest of the buildings were constructed without any approval. The authority termed this a direct violation of the rules and said that action can be taken against such construction under Section-59 of the Uttar Pradesh Town Planning and Development Act, even if the area was brought under the authority's jurisdiction at a later date. The university campus has 40 buildings in total, several of which contain multiple rooms and sections. Master plan and zonal plan arguments also dismissed The demolition order also examined in detail the various legal arguments put forward by the university, which cited the master plan, the zonal plan and different sections of the Act. The authority stated in its order that these provisions had been wrongly interpreted and could not be used to validate the construction. The order clarified that the legality of any construction rests on approval obtained from the competent authority under the law that was in force at the time the construction was carried out. An Income Tax notice weeks earlier Earlier in June, the Income Tax Department had issued a notice to Azam Khan's Mohammad Ali Jauhar Trust. It has been claimed that the inquiry uncovered large-scale financial irregularities within the trust. The same trust runs Mohammad Ali Jauhar University, meaning that in the span of a few weeks, both the university and the trust linked to it have come under separate rounds of scrutiny. What this means for you The order directly affects students, staff and people connected to the Jauhar University campus in Rampur. • Across India: The case signals that unauthorised construction on large educational campuses is now being acted upon strictly, which could have implications for other institutions nationwide. • In Rampur: Students studying at the university and staff working there could be directly affected, since the 38 buildings ordered to be demolished contain multiple rooms and classrooms. Questions & Answers 1. How many buildings does Jauhar University have and how many were found illegal? The campus has 40 buildings in total, of which 38 have been declared illegal, with only two found to have approved building plans. 2. Under which law was this action taken? The action was taken under Section-27(1) of the Uttar Pradesh Town Planning and Development Act, 1973. 3. Who issued the demolition order? The order was issued by the Rampur Development Authority, and details were shared by District Magistrate Ajay Kumar Dwivedi. 4. What defence did the university management offer? The management argued that village Singankheda was not part of the development area before 27 September-24, so no approval was needed, and that much of the construction was old. 5. Why did the authority reject this defence? The authority said plan approval was mandatory even at the time of construction, and that Section-59 of the Act allows action against such construction even if the area was added to its jurisdiction later. 6. Is there any other case linked to the university? Yes, in June the Income Tax Department issued a notice to Azam Khan's Mohammad Ali Jauhar Trust over an alleged large-scale financial irregularity found during an inquiry. 7. When was the hearing held and who attended it? A personal hearing was held on 15 July, attended by officials and advocates representing both the university and the Rampur Development Authority. https://trendkia.com/en/uttar-pradesh/azam-khan-ki-jauhar-yunivarsiti-men-38-avaidha-imaraten-rampur-development-authority-ne-sunaya-dhvastikarana-ka-phaisala-7915 TrendKia — Har trend, sabse pehle.