The apex body of cooperatives NCUI is planning to come up with a Centre of excellence for co-operative training on a piece of land it took on lease from Noida Authority. The apex co-op body may lose the land if it fails to start the construction on the land given the Noida Authority’s tough norms, inform insiders.
In the last Governing Council meeting, cooperators expressed their desire to build a Centre of Excellence on this land. “It should be developed as a Centre of Excellence for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship. It may attract national and international dignitaries who would visit this Centre to know the story of India’s growth through the cooperative system”, said the Chief Executive N Satyanarayan to Indian Cooperative.
In June 2006, the Noida Authority allotted an industrial plot of 3000 sq.mt area at B-81, Sector 80, Noida to NCUI for the project of printing purposes on lease hold basis for a period 90 years. As per the terms, NCUI deposited total cost of Rs 69, 30, 000/- of the plot to the Noida Authority in 2006. Further, NCUI paid a lump sum of Rs 3.,69,350/- to the Noida Authority in May 2013 towards onetime payment for lease rent for 90 years up to the year 2096.
The land was almost lost as NCUI started no activities, violating the Noida Authority norms. It was due to the intervention of the NCUI President and the CE that it could save it by paying a penalty as time extension charges.
The plot was taken on lease to set up a printing press but now NCUI proposes to set up Centre of Excellence. Getting land use changed from Authority was tough. In its request NCUI wrote” NCUI being the apex organization of the Indian Cooperative Movement and mandated to promote the economy of the country through the cooperative system has to conduct various activities in addition to printing press activities.”
NCUI letter further argued” If NCUI restricts itself to printing activity, it may not be sustainable and hence the need to take up all other activities necessary for promotion of the economy through cooperatives. In line with the above, we are going to develop this plot as a centre of Excellence for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship.”
Luckily for NCUI, Noida Authority agreed and wrote” with reference to your letter for addition and change in project you are granted permission to engage in industrial activity for printing material and skill development training centre.”
The permission has been granted with several conditions and the apex body has to meet a deadline constructing the building for its proposed activities.