The Indore Development Authority (IDA) has asked the Congress to pay an additional Rs 4 lakh for the temporary use of government land for Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi’s “Chhatron Ki Goonj” programme in Indore.

This comes after the Congress had to shift to an alternative venue after its proposed programme at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium was not permitted. The party has been allotted about 12,000 square metres of IDA land near the Regional Park for the September 19 event.

The authority had allotted the land to the Indore city Congress committee for temporary use from September 17 to September 19. The IDA has now said that an inspection found that 4,800 square metres of the site had been used from September 14, three days before the permitted period.

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In its September 16 letter to Indore city Congress president Chintu Chouksey, the IDA said the land had been allotted for the programme “from September 17 to September 19” and referred to an earlier communication that made it clear the land could be used only on the stipulated dates.

The letter says a site report received by the authority found that the Congress had begun using the 4,800-square-metre portion from September 14.

The IDA then calculated charges for the additional three days. Its letter states that because the Congress had used the 4,800 square metres before the permitted date, Rs 4,03,270 was payable for the additional use.

The IDA also warned that any use of the land after the permitted period would attract separate charges. Its letter says that if the land is used after the stipulated dates, “temporary lease rent” would have to be paid separately according to the applicable rules.

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According to party officials, the Congress had already paid Rs 10.08 lakh for the three-day temporary lease.

The latest demand followed a complaint by BJP state spokesperson Rakesh Singh Yadav, who alleged that the Congress was using the government land beyond the period permitted under its lease.

Yadav said the issue was not about the Congress’s programme itself but about payment for government property.

Congress city president Chouksey has disputed the additional demand and alleged that the administration was acting under pressure from BJP leaders. He has accused the administration of functioning as a “puppet” of the ruling party.

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The payment dispute is the latest chapter in a larger controversy over Gandhi’s Indore programme.

The Congress had originally planned to hold “Chhatron Ki Goonj” at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium. The programme was subsequently shifted to September 19 after permission to use the stadium was not granted. The civic administration cited existing High Court directions on stadium use, while Congress leaders alleged the government was preventing Gandhi from engaging directly with students.