HSVP seals amusement park in Gurugram over pending dues

Gurugram, Sep 4

The Haryana Shahari Vikas Pradhikaran (HSVP) on Sunday sealed the Appu Ghar amusement park in Gurugram's Sector-29 over lease payment dues of Rs 48.57 crores.

The due amount includes lease rent of over Rs 24.28 crore and an equal amount of penalty over the last several years, the officials said.

HSVP officials said that notices in 2015, 2016, 2017, 2021 and 2022 had been issued to the amusement park management regarding the pending dues but the management failed to act against the notices.

According to reports, International Recreation and Amusement Ltd (IRAL), the operator of the theme park, and HSVP had signed a contract in 2011. As per the contract, the IRAL has taken the theme park on lease of 33 years and will have to pay more than Rs 48.57 crore as rent to the HSVP from 2011 onwards.

However, despite being given repeated notices by the HSVP, the due amount was not paid by IRAL.

"IRAL failed to pay a single penny in the discharge of the ground rent as per the lease agreement," officials said.

IRAL was running the amusement park and was given several notices by HSVP to clear the dues but the management ignored all the notices, officials added.

Subsequently, on September 2, HSVP administrator Jaspreet Kaur cancelled the lease deed. Even before cancelling the lease deed, 30 days show cause notice was granted to cure the breaches and defaults to the company.

Apart from this, a penalty of about Rs 95.20 lakh on account of water supply is also outstanding against IRAL from the year 2016 which is payable to HSVP as on August 31.

"The lease deed was cancelled for non-payment of the amount. Notice was given even before the termination of the lease agreement. According to the orders of Chief Administrator HSVP, the possession of Amusement Park was taken on Sunday," Sanjeev Singla, Estate Officer-II, HSVP said.

Rakesh Babbar, director of IRAL, said, "It was a drastic step taken by HSVP. The department without any notice sealed the property illegally. The matter is in the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) and now the tribunal will look into the matter."