Status of Nagaland House in Kolkata discussed in assembly

The status of the Nagaland House Commercial Complex in Kolkata was discussed in the assembly on Tuesday and the opposition Naga Peoples Front expressed concern over the losses incurred by the state by leasing it to a private company.

The losses were more than Rs 2 crore and the NPF lawmakers said that the state government should end the lease of the property, which is located in the downtown area of the metropolis.

In case the lessee was not willing, then the state government should enhance the lease amount of the complex to the existing market rate which is calculated to Rs 2.2 crore instead of continuing with the old agreements which earned for it only Rs seven lakh, they said.

Replying, Deputy Chief Minister Y Patton said that a lease agreement for 20 years had been executed between Nagaland government and the private company in respect of the complex in Kolkata in 1997. It is used as a hospital and it is called Nightingale Building.

The agreement had provision for renewal for another two terms, he said.

When the first lease expired in 2017 the government had sought to increase the rent to Rs 2.2 crore from Rs 5 lakh per month. But the lessee offered to pay only Rs 7 lakh and challenged the Nagaland government in Calcutta High Court, which had directed it to receive Rs 7 lakh per month as rent without prejudice to its rights and contentions till the disposal of the interim application.

A Joint Parliamentary Committee was constituted on October 26, 2018 to pursue the case along with the advocate general to ensure the right of the Nagaland government for the enhancement of the rent and to take possession of the building, he assured.