Here are the key takeaways from the investigation into the Mirzapur land scandal:
🗝️ Key Takeaways
- Gross Financial Disparity: The authorities lease a massive 62,606 square feet of prime municipal land for just a nominal fee. The fee is ₹50 per year. This deal represents a significant loss to the public exchequer.
- Systemic Corruption: The Department of Urban Development allegedly bypassed the autonomous authority of the Mirzapur Municipality. The municipality had formally recommended canceling the lease due to violations of terms.
- Breach of Agreement: The authorities originally intended the land for a public children’s garden (Shishu Udyan). However, they now use it for a commercial school (Lions School). This violates the non-commercial spirit of the original lease.
- RTI Obstructionism: The Public Information Officer (PIO) avoids disclosing the files that justify the lease extension. The PIO shunts responsibility and ignores notices from the State Information Commission.
- Extension Without Justification: Despite documented irregularities, officials extended the lease for 30 years (until 2040). This raises serious questions about the influence of the leaseholders over Secretariat-level officials.
- Call for Paperless Transparency: The appellant is advocating for paperless administrative responses. This change will reduce the burden on the public exchequer. It will also ensure a digital trail of accountability.
📅 Important Case Details
| Detail | Information |
| Next Hearing Date | 12/09/2025 |
| Hearing Court | S-6, UP Information Commission |
| Case Number | S06/A/1204/2024 |
| Appellant | Yogi M. P. Singh |
🦁 Lions School Land Lease: A pittance for the Prime, a Blockade for the Truth
In the heart of Mirzapur City, a developer holds a prime real estate parcel of 62,606 square feet. This land is worth millions, if not billions, of rupees. It faces controversy due to the Lions School Land Lease. This lease allows officials to lease out this public asset. This decision defies economic logic and highlights administrative malpractice. The lease amount is a staggering ₹50 per annum.
This story does not merely describe a “bad deal”; it serves as a textbook case. Officials systematically dismantle transparency to shield high-level irregularities, particularly in the Lions School land lease process.
🏛️ The Great Override in Lions School Land Lease: Local Autonomy vs. Secretariat Might
The roots of this controversy lie in the blatant disregard for local governance. The Municipality of Mirzapur City is an autonomous body and the rightful owner of the land. It has repeatedly recognised the breach of lease terms—a breach tied to the original Lions School arrangement and ongoing lease.
- The Original Promise: In 1980, the land was leased to the Lions Club for a non-commercial social purpose. The aim was specifically to develop a Shishu Udyan (Children’s Garden). It also aimed to establish a school for the underprivileged. The original Lions School land lease terms were for the public’s benefit.
- The Reality: No public garden exists. Instead, the “Lions School” operates as a commercial entity. It charges significant fees while sitting on land meant for the public good.
- The Defiance: The Municipality Board passed multiple resolutions to cancel the lease and reclaim the land. However, the Nagar Vikas Vibhag (Department of Urban Development) in Lucknow allegedly bypassed these democratic decisions. It extended the lease until 2040 for the same nominal fee of ₹50, continuing the Lions School land lease controversy.
🚫 The RTI Blockade in Lions School Land Lease: “Shunting” as a Tool of Deceit
When citizen activist Yogi M. P. Singh sought to uncover the “why” behind this extension through the Right to Information (RTI) Act, he encountered silence. Bureaucratic silence stood in his way regarding the details of the Lions School land lease extension. He encountered silence from the bureaucracy. He faced “shunting” as well.
The Public Information Officer (PIO), Sri Ambrish Kumar Srivastav, has been accused. He reportedly overlooks notices from the State Information Commission repeatedly. The Secretariat did not provide the communications that justified overriding the Municipality’s decision. Instead, they attempted to transfer the inquiry to local officials in Mirzapur. These officials do not hold the records for a decision made at the Lucknow level, nor the documentation relevant to the Lions School land lease agreement.
The RTI Act was designed to promote transparency. However, it seems that in the current regime, its provisions have been put into a heap of garbage. — Appellant Submission
⚖️ The Core Demands for Accountability
The second appeal (Case No. S06/A/1204/2024) currently before the Uttar Pradesh Information Commission seeks answers to five critical questions centring on the Lions School land lease issue.
- Where is the proof? A copy of the communication that extended the lease for 30 years.
- Who authorized it? Details of the staff and communications that superseded the Municipality’s proposal to cancel the lease.
- What is the “Reason”? Under Section 4(1)(d) of the RTI Act, the government must provide reasons for its administrative decisions about the Lions School land lease extension.
- Why ₹50? A justification for charging a pittance for land worth millions as part of the Lions School lease arrangement.
- Whose request? Copies of the Lions Club’s communications that prompted the government’s favourable decision in relation to the Lions School lease.
🚩 Conclusion: A Test for the Commission
This case is a litmus test for the Uttar Pradesh Information Commission. Will it allow a PIO to continue “shunting” responsibility while public assets are drained? Whether commission will it penalise the delay? Will it force the disclosure of what seems to be deep-rooted corruption? The Lions School land lease is at its core. This would uphold the spirit of the RTI Act.
The next hearing is scheduled for 12/09/2025. For the citizens of Mirzapur, it is not just about the land. It is about whether their local government still has a voice. Can the Secretariat sell that voice for ₹50 a year under the current Lions School lease arrangement?
Key Takeaways
- The Lions School Land Lease scandal involves 62,606 square feet of prime municipal land. It is leased for just ₹50 per year. This causes a financial loss.
- Allegations of systemic corruption arise. The Department of Urban Development ignored the Mirzapur Municipality’s recommendation. They were advised to cancel the lease due to terms violations.
- The original lease aimed to create a public children’s garden but now supports a commercial school, breaching the agreement.
- Bureaucratic obstruction, including the Public Information Officer’s refusal to provide records, hinders transparency regarding the lease extension.
- The upcoming hearing on 12/09/2025 will test the accountability of the Uttar Pradesh Information Commission over this case.
To ensure you have the correct administrative channels for your case, here are the structured contact details. You will also find digital links for the concerned public authorities.
🏢 Nagar Vikas Vibhag (Urban Development Department)
This is the parent department in Lucknow (Anubhag 6) responsible for the lease extension orders.
- Public Information Officer (PIO): Sri Ambrish Kumar Srivastav
- Address: Section-6, Nagar Vikas Vibhag, Bapu Bhawan, Lucknow – 226001.
- Email:
nagarvikassection6@gmail.com - Secondary Email:
so.nagarvikash8@gmail.com - Official Website: urbandevelopment.up.nic.in
- Department Phone: 0522-2238699 (Principal Secretary Office)
🏛️ Uttar Pradesh State Information Commission (UPSIC)
This is the statutory body hearing your appeal in Court S-6.
- Location: 7/7A, RTI Bhawan, Vibhuti Khand, Gomti Nagar, Lucknow – 226010.
- Hearing Court: S-6
- Court Email:
hearingcourts6.upic@up.gov.in(For case-related submissions) - Commission Phone: 0522-2724930
- Official Website: upsic.up.gov.in
🏙️ Nagar Palika Parishad, Mirzapur City
The local autonomous body that originally proposed the cancellation of the lease.
- Address: Ghantaghar, Mirzapur, Uttar Pradesh – 231001.
- Phone: 05442-252382 / 05442-252337
- Email:
mirzapurnpp@gmail.com/cmomzp@gmail.com - Official Website: mirzapurnpp.in
📂 Case Reference Summary
Keep these numbers handy for all future correspondence to ensure your files are tracked correctly:
| Type | Reference Number |
| Registration Number | A-20240700674 |
| File Number | S06/A/1204/2024 |
| UPIC Diary Number | D-130720250002 |
| Original RTI ID | DOUDV/R/2021/80157 |
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